Almost 50,000 Australians suffer from a stroke each year, of which one third die within twelve months. With the aging population, this figure is set to rise to a staggering 74,000 Australians dying from stroke by the year 2017 if nothing is done in the interim. In 2003, Veolia sponsored the inaugural Stroke of Art exhibition and charity auction dinner at the NSW Parliament House. Since 2003, A Stroke of Art has raised over $175,000 which has been donated to the National Stroke Foundation to continue research into the effects of stroke.