"The [Remington's] owner has been part of the Salvation Army for many, many years, and he brought the lunch to our attention and wanted to offer his amazing event space for this amazing event," said The Remington Orange's Emily D'Aquino.

The venue covers the cost of the lunch, which Red Shield Appeal chairman Tony Rodd said frees up guests to open their wallets and give generously.

"And they usually do," he said.

Mr Rodd said the lunch attracts business people, politicians, school captains and principals, and money is raised via an auction and donations.

The lunch serves the dual purpose of raising money and publicising the need for Red Shield Appeal collectors.

A guest speaker hasn't been finalised, however previous speeches have been given by the likes of Nick Farr-Jones, Ross Gittens and Ron Finemore.

"We raised $8,000 in the first year, and our best year was $80,000," said Mr Rodd.

He said the average is about $20,000.

Meanwhile, Orange residents give about $80,000 to the appeal each year, which Mr Rodd said compared well with other areas.

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