I woke up this morning to $100,000.

I woke up this morning to $100,000.

$100,000 made up of over 4,000 raffle tickets— with every single cent donated to the Children’s Cancer Institute. The result of a competition that I’ve been trying to launch for the past three years, but each time, I’ve been so frightened I’d fail that I just couldn’t get it off the ground.

Fear is a funny thing. The first time we ventured into fundraising, I was nervous, but proud that we were doing something to give back. This time, I had expectations of myself. I knew what we’d raised last time, and there was no way I was going to let myself fall short of the $100,000 target.

What I’ve realised is that gratitude from the Children’s Cancer Institute is the same whether it’s $5,000 or $50,000. What’s most important to them is the awareness we’re raising. This is about so much more than a simple “Wanna Win a Pool” competition—it’s about introducing you to the cause, so you might continue supporting them long after the raffle ends. 

Matt and I haven’t been directly affected by childhood cancer. It’s not a cause we chose to support because our kids are sick or because someone close to us has passed away. And I’ll be honest—it’s made me feel like an imposter at times. My overthinking brain worries about what others might think—that I’m attention-seeking or that people might question, “Why does she care, she doesn’t have a child with cancer?” What I’ve learned is this: the families who have lost their children to cancer care deeply about people like you and me —those who give their time and attention to raising money for vital research. Our efforts honor their kids. Remembering is reverence, and when we raise awareness for these cancers, we’re also remembering the children who are no longer here.

I’ve learned that fundraising is hard. Asking people for money is hard. Creating content and putting myself out there constantly is hard. As someone who worries about what others think, there have been moments of pure anxiety, feeling like I’m being "annoying" in my relentless pursuit of another dollar. But fundraising is critical. It’s in the community’s donations that vital research is funded. And the team at CCI push forward every single day because they see firsthand the devastation that a cancer diagnosis brings. They deserve a round of applause. It’s not easy, especially in today’s tough economy. But the research continues. Cancer continues. And they keep going with smiles on their faces.

Most importantly, this experience has reminded me how much it’s all about connection. Without Geoff and Lauren Lewis, we’d never have met the team at the CCI. Without the relationships we’ve built with our trades and suppliers, we wouldn’t have been able to ask them to donate their time and supplies to package up this pool prize. Without the Children’s Cancer Institute, I would never have met Kath, who tragically lost her beautiful boy, Levi to an aggressive brain cancer. Kath gave us perspective on what this fundraising means to her. Without this raffle, I’d never have met Rebecca and Ava or Baz—three incredible people who have felt cancer’s tight grip and who have been instrumental in sharing what we’re doing. It’s the connections we’ve made with people—our kids, who ask every morning, “What are we at, Mum?”; our past clients, our friends, and even people we’ve never met but who love a pool as much as we do. You saw something in what we’re doing and chose to give, whether it was $25 or more, and we couldn’t be more grateful.

We’ll draw the winner and build the pool, but these relationships will last a lifetime.

Why did we choose to support the Children’s Cancer Institute? The answer is simple. Cronulla Pools exists to build pools that create the forever memories. And for us, fundraising for the Children’s Cancer Institute is our way of contributing to a future where every child has their own forever—to make memories by the pool.

We still have over a week to go before our lucky winner is drawn. And already, we’ve quickly surpassed $100,000. It’s small change with a big impact. And I’m blown away. Please continue to show your support, grab a few last-minute tickets.

From Matt and I and the team at Cronulla Pools - Thank you so much.

If you’d like to show your support, you can buy your tickets here or make a donation to the CCI here.