Connie's Diary: Tennant Creek

Sam is the one pedalling the km’s on this journey, and Jon Bon Jonno and Ley Ley support him out on the road, but behind the scenes we have some amazing people working on organising this massive event and keeping us up to date with media, social media, promotions and sponsorships. We are very fortunate to have a team of experts who all contribute to this event and make it all possible. After I set Sam this crazy challenge, we worked on it together for 18 months, trying to secure sponsorships, working on route mapping, logistics  event management and planning and attracting media attention, not to mention learning what social media is all about. This was a massive bonding experience for Sam and me, we shared the highs and lows, the ups and downs. As the event started to get legs and started to grow into the mammoth event that it now is we quickly realised that we couldn’t do it all ourselves, that we would need some help, serious help.

That help has come in many forms, so many people and organisations have gotten behind us and helped us out in so many ways. One of the most valuable contributors has to be Em. She is my bestie, we have known each other for over 20 years and are inseparable  She is like a sister to me. And now she is a Love Your Sister Sister.

Em has been working since before launch to help us out in every way possible. She helps with PR, media, event management, sponsorships, logistics, legalities, just about everything. There is a reason we call her ”Little Miss Get-It-Done” because that is what she does. She get’s stuff done. And she does all this after work! She has a job that pays that she works full time in, then she comes home and works on Love Your Sister every night from 6pm til midnight every night. If that’s not enough, she then works 10 hours a day every Saturday and Sunday as well. She is so dedicated and we would dearly love to show her how much we appreciate everything she does for us.

We also have a very generous, anonymous benefactor who has been able to help with some of the expenses of our fundraiser, so that every cent given by the public goes to the cause. This benefactor also appreciates Em’s dedication and wanted to show it. And the way t show appreciation? A Boob mobile! Em now has a boob mobile of her own to drive to all her meetings for the duration of Sam’s journey. I am constantly surprised by how people come forward to help on Love Your Sister and this is another amazing surprise show of LYS love.

Em contacted all sorts of people on every town Samuel is set to ride through to find people who want to help by welcoming Samuel and the crew to town, and organise fundraisers in each location to help us edge towards our $1M goal. She contacts newspapaers, radio stations, councils, CWA’s, local businesses, community groups and schools. Then n every town, someone will get interested in our cause and contact Em back. Then they work together to organise receptions for Samuel and dares and fundraisers. Jenny, in Tennant creek was Em’s contact and go to Gal for the Tenant Creek fundraiser. She heard about it from the council just a week before Sam was due to arrive. In one week, she pulled an event together, and it was one of the best yet. She organised a band, DJ, venue and raffles. She and Em worked together, with the help of a heap of local businesses who donated items for the raffle. Together they e=welcomed Sam into town, dared him to wear a very fetching tutu to the event, and they raised over $5 000. An amazing result from a small community who got together and got behind the cause. Another great effort and a reminder that breast cancer effects every community and that every community Samuel visits puts in and gets behind him to help out. Thanks Tenant Creek!