Samuel Is Taking On The Ride Of His Life

Samuel Johnson is an Australian actor with 20 years experience, best known for my work on ‘The Secret Life of Us’, ‘Crackerjack’, ‘Underbelly II’ and Ten’s ‘Rush’. I’ve guested on everything from ‘Spicks n Specks’ to ‘Talkin’ Bout Your Generation’, was the subject of Australian Story’s ‘The Sum of Sam’ and in 2000 I was awarded the Centenary Medal in the Queen’s Honour’s List for Services to the Arts and Society.

Samuel’s sister has terminal breast cancer. She is the mother of two beaut boys and as such is keen for me to help her remind every mum in the land to be breast aware. How? Well, starting on the 15th of February, 2013 I will ride my unicycle around the entire country, hitting up hundreds of communities and every capital city. We are officially attempting to break the Guinness world-record for longest distance travelled on a one-wheeler (15,000 kms) and are proud of our lofty aim to raise $1 million for the Garvan Research Foundation. It’s called the Love Your Sister Ride and will take an entire year to complete.

Existing sponsors include Bendigo Bank, Jayco, Toyota, Gatorade, Asics, Fitness First, Coles, Vodafone, Swisse and Pivotel. Network Ten’s ‘The Project’ are giving us comprehensive coverage throughout, PPR (one of the country’s largest PR firms) is helping promote the event locally and nationally and we have a broadcast agreement with Network Ten to deliver a one-hour Love Your Sister special upon completion of the ride.

Being that breast cancer is an issue which affects women most directly, we’re proud to have the support of a number of high-profile female Australians, including Sigrid Thornton, Noni Hazlehurst, Tottie Goldsmith, Jessica Marais, Kate Langbroek, Chrissie Swan and the inimitable Cathy Freeman.

I’m writing to let you know that I’ll be unicycling through Ballarat on the 16th of February! I was hoping that you might be interested in assisting us by spreading the word in your local community? Our primary aim is to remind every mum (or mum-to-be) in the land to breast aware, and we feel this is best done by engaging directly with the communities we pass through. We are also hoping to organise a get-together and fundraiser.

To keep it fun we are inviting each town to issue me with a challenge of their choosing! For example, in Bendigo I will be drag-racing a tram down the main street on my unicycle. In Junee I’ll enter a licorice bowling competition! Our challenge-based system ensures participation, hilarity and, hopefully, a good story and some great photos for the local media as well.  Of course, I will be available for interviews.  Essentially, we are hoping to tap into what makes each town unique, and to do so we need your help!

I believe that our ethos of community engagement, our emphasis on family, our sponsors comprising of many trusted brands, our A-list celebrity involvement and our media partnerships all help demonstrate that Love Your Sister may be an event worthy of your most serious consideration. I very much hope this is the case.

Host an Afternoon Teal This Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month

February is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, a time when Ovarian Cancer Australia focuses on informing women of the risks and symptoms of ovarian cancer.

Hosting an Afternoon Teal is a fun way to raise awareness of ovarian cancer with your family, friends and colleagues. It’s also a great way to raise funds for Ovarian Cancer Australia’s support, advocacy and research programs.

I’ll be hosting an Afternoon Teal this February to make sure all my friends and family know the important signs and symptoms.

It’s simple to do. Register your event using the online registration form on this page, send your invitations to your family and colleagues, bake or buy some healthy treats, ask for donations and make sure everyone leaves knowing the signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer.

With every dollar you raise, please know you will help to improve the lives of women in their fight against ovarian cancer, raise funds for research, and help to save lives through promoting the symptoms of ovarian cancer in the community.

To get involved register your Afternoon Teal today!

Benny’s Mob’s Continuing His Fight Against Leukaemia

Ben Lopes/Aldenhoven spent much of his life fighting leukaemia. The 34 year old Ballarat man’s fight ended last October.  In Ben’s memory his family and friends are this year to aiming to raise the most money of any team in the Leukaemia Foundation’s World’s Greatest Shave.

Each year Ben either participated in The World’s Greatest Shave or heavily promoted the shave and the Leukaemia Foundation’s work. So in Ben’s memory his family and friends have formed a team called ‘Benny’s Mob’ for this year’s event.

Ben’s younger brother Matthew Aldenhoven said Ben had such an epic battle with leukaemia throughout his life that his family and friends wanted to do something epic for him in his memory.

“Our goal is to raise the MOST money as a team in Australia for The World’s Greatest Shave as it was Ben’s charity of choice.’

To reach their goal Benny’s Mob are aiming to raise in excess of $25,000 and have organised ‘Benny’s Mob 1^st Annual Show n’ Shine and Family Day’ at the Wallace Recreation Reserve on 16 March as their major fundraising event.

“Cars and bikes were two of Ben’s great loves we thought it would be fitting to hold a Car and Bike Show n’ Shine, as well as a family day with plenty of kid’s activities, bands, head shaving/colouring, market and food stalls.”

“Leukaemia is an absolutely horrific disease that affects a lot of people and their families as I’m sure that many people in the Ballarat community and nationwide can attest to.”

“We’re going to raise as much money as we can and also get Ben’s story out, and the story of why we have set the target of raising the most money in The World’s Greatest shave in his memory.”

“There has been an amazing response in sponsoring the day from companies such as AutoBarn, Geelong Harley Davidson, Griff’s American Muscle Parts and Restoration, Jax Quick Fit Tires and Shannon’s just to name a few.”

Funds raised from The World’s Greatest Shave help provide services to leukaemia patients and the families and contribute to the Leukaemia Foundation’s multi-million dollar research program.

Lions Club Of Ballarat Monster Raffle

Bill Sleep, who is a volunteer at VoiceFM and with the Ballarat Lions Club dropped by to tell us about THE MONSTER RAFFLE they are holding in conjunction with the Ballarat Fire Brigade. The lucky winners will be announced on Friday 23 December at 3.30pm. If you still haven’t purchased a ticket get down to the Bridge Street Mall.
1st Prize: A Christmas stocking to the value of $3000.00.
2nd Prize: A 183cm by 122cm trailer to the value of $600.00.
3rd Prize: A Bicycle to value of the $300.00.

Ballarat Little Athletics Centre Handed The Pink Baton For Pinkletics 2012 To Support The McGrath Foundation

Ballarat Little Athletics Centre will be one of over two hundred centres across Australia basking in the pink spirit by participating in the inaugural Pinkletics 2012 campaign, an initiative by the McGrath Foundation and Little Athletics Australia.
By holding a Pinkletics 2012 Fundraising Day to support the McGrath Foundation, Ballarat Little Athletics Centre is proving that no hurdle is too high when community groups right across Australia come together to get behind a worthy cause all the while improving their fitness, staying active and most importantly – having fun.
To thank them for their support and to help with fundraising efforts, the Ballarat Little Athletics Centre will receive a Pinkletics Team Kit valued at over $500, which includes hot pink McGrath Foundation shoelaces, Pinkletics 2012 temporary tattoos, pink face paint sticks, pink participation ribbons and pink McGrath Foundation balloons so everyone can be seen in pink.
McGrath Foundation Ambassador and Director, Tracy Bevan, believes the power of pink will add a new and exciting element to fun, fitness and fundraising for Little Athletics Centres right across Australia.
“To date, we’ve been able to support over 16,000 Australian women and their families through their breast care experience thanks to the work of our 78 McGrath Breast Care Nurses; and thanks to the support of Little Athletics Centres, these numbers can only grow,” Tracy said.
Julie Bicknell from Ballarat Little Athletics Centre is proud the local Ballarat community has the opportunity to turn pink and support the McGrath Foundation.
“From shoelaces to stands, we’re really looking forward to turning our centre pink and we hope everyone can come down to support us and the McGrath Foundation,” Julie said.
Ballarat Little Athletics Centre is inviting friends and family to wear pink on the day, take part in a range of fundraising activities and to keep an eye out for tin-rattling volunteers.
All proceeds from the day will help the McGrath Foundation to place McGrath Breast Care Nurses in communities right across Australia and to increase breast awareness in young Australian women.
Ballarat Little Athletics Centre will have their Pinkletics 2012 Fundraising Day on Saturday 24 November.
For more information about the event, visit the McGrath Foundation’s Pinkletics 2012 website at www.mcgrathfoundation.com.au.
Event Details
Date: Saturday 24 November 2012
Where: Ballarat Little Athletics Centre
Requirements for attendance: Wear pink on the day and have some cash on hand to donate to the McGrath Foundation!
For more event information, contact: Julie on 0417 304 570.

Ballarat’s Community To Benefit From Lunch

Tuesday November 13 will see the members of the Victorian Division of the Australian Institute of Company Directors(AICD) meet for their annual ‘Ballarat End of Year Leaders’ Lunch’ with this year’s guest speaker Jane Harvey FAICD. The event kicks off at 12.00pm at the Lydiard Wine Bar.
Each year the Victorian Division supports community-based organisations within the Ballarat region and this year United Way Ballarat has been selected to receive the funds raised through raffles and a silent auction.
CEO of United Way Ballarat Geoff Sharp welcomes the support from IOCD; ‘As we strive to support those who are working to make Ballarat a better place to live, we really appreciate organisations like AICD who give so generously’.
Organiser of this year’s event Heather White, is encouraging directors to attend with their clients and staff: ‘It is a great time to sit back and reflect upon what has happened over the past 12 months and what the future holds. Keynote speaker Jane Harvey FAICD will discuss the key challenges facing Directors today.’
Jane has successfully made the transition from Partnership at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) to holding a portfolio of directorships. She gained skills and networks in a career advising major corporate clients on strategy, risk management and financial issues with PwC.
She honed her skills as a director on major Victorian Government boards, gaining experience in understanding the operations of a board and chairing both board and committee meetings. Jane stated that her professional and female networks were significant factors in her board appointments.
Jane Harvey is a non-executive Director of a number of companies, is also a member of the Board of the Department of Treasury and Finance (Vic) where s chairs the Audit Committee, and is an Audit Committee member of the National Gallery of Victoria.
The lunch is being advertised as a not-to-be-missed event.

What do Peter Daicos, A Scissor Lift And Hundreds Of Golf Balls Have In Common?

Answer: They will all feature at this year’s Red Lion United Way Golf Classic.
A new and unique event will be held this year at the Red Lion United Way Golf Classic. Guest player and AFL legend Peter Daicos will be releasing hundreds of golf balls down the fairway with the closest one to the hole winning a $500.00 prize. The event will prove to be quite spectacular as the balls are released from a scissor lift kindly provided by Regional Contractors, and roll down towards the green.
The 2012 Golf Classic will be officially launched at the Red Lion (Car park, Main Road, Ballarat) 2.00pm on Monday 1 October complete with scissor lift and hundreds of golf balls.
The annual Classic is in it’s 14th year and is poised to help raise much needed funds to support the Ballarat Community. The highly sought after team entries fill quickly each year, particularly with returning teams who thoroughly enjoy the day at the beautiful Ballarat Golf Club.
This year, the Golf Classic is to be held on Friday 19 October. Being organised by local businesses for local businesses, this event is a fun way for teams to get together, enjoy lunch and a game of golf whilst helping those in need. Prior to teeing off, teams will have the opportunity to bid for the privilege of having Peter Daicos join their team for the golf round.
Event sponsor David Canny of The Red Lion is enthusiastic about being involved with the event: ‘It is a privilege to be able to join forces with United Way Ballarat in hosting this event and being able to get behind something that is making a difference in the lives of local people.’
Members of the public have the opportunity to purchase a numbered golf ball for $5.00 and be in the running to win a prepaid credit card valued at $500.00 but they will have to get in quick with sales only available until Monday 15 October. All proceeds from the drop will go towards the work of United Way Ballarat.
Balls can be purchased from:
United Way Ballarat: Level 1, 3 Peel St Sth, Ballarat
The Red Lion Hotel: 223 Main Rd, Ballarat
The Ballarat Golf Club Pro Shop: 800 Sturt St, Ballarat
The Ballarat Courier: 110 Creswick Rd, Ballarat

DisabiliTEA Morning Tea To Raise Awareness Of The National Disability Insurance Scheme

On Friday 26 October we’re holding a national tea party to raise awareness of the National Disability Insurance Scheme. It’s called DisabiliTEA, and we want you to be part of it.
Julia Taylor from Masterchef and her sister Katie will be hosting a DisabiliTEA in October. Katie, who has Down Syndrome, hails from Queensland, where the NDIS is still a long way from becoming a reality.
Register to host a DisabiliTEA on Friday 26 October and we’ll send you an exclusive recipe from Masterchef’s Julia Taylor.
Julia and Katie will be cooking up a storm for DisabiliTEA so they can spread the word about why Australia needs the National Disability Insurance Scheme.
You can help by having a cuppa with your friends, family, local community group or workplace on Friday 26 October. Hosting an event is easy – we’ll send you a pack with everything you need to have a fun day.
Last year, DisabiliTEA was our biggest and most successful campaign event. Around 35,000 Australians came along to one of more than 900 DisabiliTEAs around the country. It helped put the National Disability Insurance Scheme firmly on the public agenda.
But there is still a long way to go in raising awareness about the need for the National Disability Insurance Scheme. So we want to see this year’s DisabiliTEA be bigger and better than ever.
Like you, we want to see the National Disability Insurance Scheme locked in, for good, for all Australians, in every state and territory.
That’s why your help is so important. The more people who host a DisabiliTEA, the more likely our politicians from every party will know that Australians everywhere support the National Disability Insurance Scheme.
So sign up today to host your own DisabiliTEA. Have a cuppa and show our nation that Every Australian Counts.

Autism Conference Goes Regional

After huge success with live-streaming in 2010, regional Victorian audiences are invited to share in the 2012 Victorian Autism Conference at a location near you.
Hosted in Melbourne and presented by AMAZE, the Victorian Autism Conference on Thursday 9 and Friday 10 August will be available for regional Victorians to attend at eight different locations via live-streaming.
Four key note speakers will engage audiences with practical guidance and strategies that parents, carers, professionals, practitioners and educators can implement to enhance the quality of life of those with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
World-renowned ASD expert and specialist in Asperger’s Syndrome, Professor Tony Atwood, will be presenting strategies to help individuals fit in to social settings as well as talking in the adult stream on the issue of living with a partner with undiagnosed Asperger’s.
From the USA, Carol Gray, who is well known for her contribution to education on ASD, will focus on sharing her highly-regarded Social StoriesTM used worldwide to help individuals on the spectrum to understand situations.
ASD education expert Sue Larkey will be providing practical strategies that can be transferred from home to school.
Self-taught pianist Jonathan Petty, diagnosed with ASD and born without sight, will be demonstrating his talents and accompanied by his parents, sharing his family’s journey with ASD.
AMAZE chief executive officer Murray Dawson-Smith says the Victorian Autism Conference was an important opportunity for those touched by Autism.
“Bringing people together for an event such as this has so many unexpected benefits. Families and professionals have the opportunity to meet others, share experiences and build networks as well as learn from excellent speakers,” Mr Dawson-Smith said.
The conference will offer four streams of Early Childhood, Primary School Years, Adolescence and Adulthood, and will include presentations on the following:
• ASD health and wellbeing
• Communication and social skills
• Behaviours of concern and mental health
• Support for carers
• Advocacy and rights; and
• Education.
Families of children aged 0-6 who have access to the Helping Children with Autism funding may be able to use a component of their child’s FaHCSIA funding to attend the conference. Carers should note they can also use their end of financial year payment to attend.
Attendees are welcome to maximise their conference experience by swapping between live-streams. To reserve your spot, please book via www.amaze.org.au/vac. A local list of regional conference locations are:
Ballarat: The Mercure, 613 Main Road, Regional partner contact: Pinarc Telephone: 03 5329 1300
Bendigo: Quality Resort All Seasons, 171-183 McIvor Road, Regional partner contact: Carer Support Services Telephone: 03 5454 6000
Horsham: Grains Innovation Park, 110 Natimuk Road, Regional partner contact: Wimmera Uniting Care Telephone: 03 5382 6789

Looking For Volunteer Host Families

AIIU (a not for profit company whose mission is to promote global understanding through cultural exchange) has 40 Japanese students coming to visit the Uni of Ballarat for 20 nights from the 11th July.
We are DESPERATELY seeking the last few host families for these students. Families are volunteers, however a stipend of $20.00 per night is paid to offset costs.
Japanese language is definitely not necessary, normal Aussie meals, can share a room, can catch bus to school.
Kids absolutely love having Japanese students (about 16 years) in the home – it is an amazing experience for our children.
You don’t need to change your life – just invite them to share it! That is the experience for them – to live like an Aussie, do what Aussies do.
For further information contact Group Coordinators – Katrina 0439 489 361 or Donna 0412 222 951.

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