The evening included an anonymous pledge of $5000, with additional funds expected from photographs taken by Mark Brimblecombe and profits from the popular whisky bar.
Police Commissioner Mike Bush gave a heartfelt speech which included the pertinent statistic of one woman every 30 minutes ringing the Refuge crisis line, while singer Tina Cross, Women's Refuge patron, sent a video-ed message that included her song Walkaway.
Ms Warburton said she was humbled by the generosity of the community.
"If giving is an indicator of the health of a city, then Whanganui is alive and well.
"Principal sponsor PwC and event partners Kensington Swan and Downer provided us with the confidence to carry out the event, and the donations from businesses in Whanganui and throughout New Zealand show that six months of work and over 30 committee meetings have paid off."