The 2026 Footy Show Grand Final: My Room Telethon has raised a record-breaking $6.1 million for children and families facing cancer, topping last year’s $6 million tally. As a proud My Room partner, we supported the charity on the night enabling secure phone donations at our La Trobe Street location in Melbourne CBD. The Probe Phone room was brimming with energy and marked seven years of partnership between Channel 9, My Room Children’s Cancer Charity and Probe Group (Probe CX, Convai, and Innovior) to power the event.
Behind the scenes, more than 100 dedicated Probe Group volunteers operated the donation contact centre, handling more than 850 calls to ensure every pledge was processed. The effort brought team members together from across the country, with volunteers dialling in remotely alongside a bustling team on the floor of our Melbourne office.
The electricity in our contact centre was lifted even further by the presence of families supported by My Room, alongside high-profile My Room ambassadors: Melbourne Cup-winning jockey Michelle Payne, Socceroos favourite Archie Thompson, NRL star Xavier Coates, comedy group Sooshi Mango and AFL stars rody Mihocek, Riley Thilthorpe, Massimo D’Ambrosio, Lloyd Meek, Jacob Hopper, Patrick Retschko, Andrew McGrath, Archie Perkins, Mitch McGovern, Rob Monahan and Will Day.
The power of partnership
All funds raised during the telethon go directly toward providing immediate relief to families facing childhood cancer while advancing critical medical research and hospital care.
For Margaret Zita OAM, CEO of My Room Children’s Cancer Charity, Probe’s ongoing operational partnership has been vital in turning every caller’s generosity into vital support for families:
“Telethon night moves at lightning speed and knowing we have Probe Group in our corner gives everyone at My Room incredible peace of mind. For seven years, their wonderful volunteers have ensured every donor is met with warmth and care from the moment they pick up the phone.
Every call they answer helps My Room continue supporting children, young adults and their families throughout their cancer journey, from diagnosis and treatment through to recovery and in the most difficult times.
Having such a committed and big-hearted partner stand alongside us year after year makes an enormous difference, and we are incredibly grateful for their continued support.”
Probe CEO Sanj Ahuja joined volunteers on the floor in Melbourne, taking donation calls alongside the team and presenting Probe’s corporate donation on behalf of employees nationwide.
“The My Room Telethon is an event our entire business looks forward to every year. On a night where every second and every call matters, we’re proud to provide the technology, reliability and care needed to ensure every donor’s support counts. Watching our team rally together across Australia to deliver for these kids and their families makes me immensely proud.”
The heart behind the headsets
Probe has provided its contact centre expertise to My Room Children’s Cancer Charity pro bono since 2020.
Behind every answered call on telethon night was a volunteer committed to creating positive change. This year, more than 50 returning team members stepped up once again to jump on the lines. Here is what inspired them to return:
Louise Sirianni – Operations Director, Probe CX
Volunteering with My Room since 2021, Louise has seen firsthand the energy and compassion that defines telethon night.
“My Room is an amazing support for children and their families during such a very difficult time.Taking calls, hearing peoples stories and seeing the difference My Room makes for so many families makes me want to return each year. I am so proud to see many of my Probe colleagues volunteer their time each year also.”
Nikhil Narendranath – Head of Strategy and AI, Innovior
Joining the Melbourne volunteer floor for the second consecutive year, Innovior’s Head of Strategy and AI reflected on why returning was an easy choice:
“Last year I went in not really knowing what to expect, but came away feeling like I’d genuinely been part of something meaningful. Speaking with people from across Australia and seeing how willing they were to help really stayed with me. Knowing I’d played even a small part in that made putting my hand up again this year an easy decision.”
The My Room Telethon the night showed just how much can happen when our people unite behind a common purpose.
Thank you to every volunteer, donor and partner who helped make the 2026 telethon our most successful one yet.
