When David Jeary first sat down to work out how his new business could help WA’s sick kids, he had no idea the decision would become a 20-year labour of love.
Two decades, millions of dollars raised and countless memories later, the Lexus of Perth dealer principal is still successfully using his car dealership as a fundraising machine for Telethon.
And a number of the people he met along the way have never forgotten his impact.
“Jayton Carter was a little Telethon kid who still comes back and visits me from time to time at the dealership, and that was probably 10 years ago when we made that connection,” Mr Jeary said.
“We just got on, and his mum used to bring him and I’d take him for a drive around the block in our fastest car and then the last time I saw him, he had actually got his license and he drove in to see me, that was really great.”
It’s the kind of relationship Mr Jeary said he never expected when he first became involved with Telethon through the fundraising event, the Lexus Ball for Telethon.
The Lexus Lottery for Telethon came soon after with the idea to turn the donation of a car into a raffle.
“It’s been a long journey, and we’ve loved every minute of it, and it’s so nice that we’re able to turn our donation of a car, use the multiplier effect and then be able to donate something so sizeable to Telethon,” he said.
The lottery is back for 2026 and more than 2500 tickets have already been sold, with Mr Jeary hoping to reach 6000 tickets.
For $100, West Australians can enter the draw to win a 2026 Lexus NX450h+ Plug-in Hybrid Luxury, valued at more than $96,000.
The prize includes delivery, registration, compulsory third-party insurance and stamp duty, with 100 per cent of ticket sales supporting Telethon and its work with WA children and families.
Mr Jeary said reaching the milestone has inspired him to continue his involvement for many years to come.
“So what I’m hoping is that I’m setting this up to continue for a very, very long time,” he said.
“We always went into it saying we wanted our relationship with Telethon to be a long-standing one and it’s endured 20 years and I’m trying to set it up so that it can last for another 20 because we feel it’s a really valuable partnership and it’s a great way for us to give back to the kids and give back to the community.”
Tickets for the 2026 Lexus Lottery are available now. Ticket sales close at 3pm on Saturday, October 17, 2026, unless sold out prior.
Tickets to experience the Telethon action live at RAC Arena on October 17 and 18 can be purchased here.
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