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Friday night’s Evening with Samuel Johnson OAM had it all, as he shared the journey that saw he and his late sister Connie create Love Your Sister.
The organisation, and the “village”, was born after Connie, mum to Willoughby and Hamilton, was diagnosed with terminal breast cancer.
Her sibling dare saw Samuel ride a unicycle around the country for year encouraging young mums to be breast aware and rattling tins to raise funds.
Their focus is firmly on raising funds for cancer research. On creating, in Connie’s words, a future where mums don’t have to say goodbye to their children.
So far, Love Your Sister has raised more than $7 million.
And Connie’s legacy is even greater: she was one of few who campaigned for the $20 billion Medical Research Future Fund, appealing personally to members of parliament to vote for the legislation to establish it.
“At the time that Connie died, that fund had $8 billion, and the first interest payment of $66 million dollars was released the week that Connie died,” Samuel said on Friday night.
Connie and Samuel have both been awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for services to cancer research, with Connie’s medal presented by the Governor General of Australia in the final days of her life.
Their work isn’t done. Samuel told those at Friday night’s Forbes Business Chamber’s Girls Day Out they should be hearing about their next effort within the next 12 months.
“I’m no longer here to raise $10 million, I’m here to change the way we treat the problem,” he said.
The local audience gave a standing ovation as the now retired actor, who won the Gold Logie for his portrayal of Molly Meldrum in the TV mini series Molly and who was named GQ Magazine’s Social Force of the Year, left the stage.
Forbes Mayor Phyllis Miller thanked him for his incredible work.
“We should be out there lobbying every political person we know to increase that research budget,” Mayor Miller said.
“We need to make sure that we assist this man who has really put us on the map … to get those funds to combat cancer.”
Forbes Business Chamber president Marg Duggan also thanked the night’s sponsors Forbes Services Memorial Club, Evolution Mine and Forbes Business Chamber.
More information or donate at www.loveyoursister.org/