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Absolutely guys, keep those call coming 1800 644 336. We've got Spidey here entertaining
all the kids and face painting, and balloon blowing, and we've got the fairies here. We're
having a lot of fun here in the corner and it's really hitting home why we are all here
as well with all of these gorgeous kids here.
Because losing a child to cancer is a tragic reality that some parents are forced to face.
The inspiring Steven Walter foundation was born from a powerful request that was made
by a dying son to his family.
Well we started in 2001, Steve my son, actually died in 2000 after an 8 year fight with cancer.
He was quite a remarkable young man and I think because he had cancer for such a long
time he was actually diagnosed with cancer when he was 11 and by the time he got to 19,
he just turned 19 and unfortunately he died.
He wanted us to raise money for research so that one day no other kid would have to go
through what he'd been through and that really has been I suppose our mantra or something
that has quite impressed on my brain that this is why we're doing what we do.
Steven was a passionate and talented and passionate motorbike rider and the foundation now raises
life saving funds with annual trips across the country. Over the last 12 years the Steven
Walter Foundation has donated an incredible 5 million dollars to research and made a significant
impact on increasing the survival rates of kids battling cancer.
It's quite incredible when you think about it, we just started out doing one event wanting
to follow his wishes, but to get to where we have got to now sometimes you sort of sit
back and think wow that is a lot of money we've raised but we could not have done it
on our own and we have fabulous group of volunteers and so many supportive people. He's probably
up there looking down at us going "I want to do that, I want to be here and do this
around Australia ride and do the snowy ride". He would be very proud of what we're doing.
Just thinking about what families go through and what kids go through it just gives you
really the inspiration to want to keep doing what we do.
It certainly is inspiring, an incredible legacy Steven Walter has left behind and the people
who continue to carry out his wishes are his mum Susan Walter, great to see you again here
Sue. And Allan McGuirk, and Glenn Marshall who is a children cancer specialist. They're
here to present this cheque as head of the kid's cancer centre. Over to you, it's a great
number you've got there, a great number, $275,000. It was a great way that you raised it too,
riding a motorbike around the country.
Oh it was, it was really, for 34 days great camaraderie and a just such an enjoyable way
to raise money.
You've come back in great shape, how does the bike look?
After a wash it looks a lot better than I do when I got back I can tell you.
And you must be so proud, Sue that this is an ongoing legacy. In total now over 5 million
dollars.
$5,000,000 that we have donated to research. So one day no other child will have to go
through what Steve went through is our goal.
This cheque will be in the bank tomorrow morning. Glenn, tell us some idea of where this money
will go.
This is very, very important to us. What it does is we're working on research to come
up with better diagnostics even predicting in children who apparently are well and whether
they are going to get leukaemia and then helping us fund a lot of the trials that we're doing
using new therapies to improve the cure rates. So this gives us hope, hope for the researchers,
the parents, the children and the doctors looking after them
All right Glenn thank you very much. Allan for all of your efforts, 34 days of saddle
soreness. And Sue thank you for the inspiration you give us all. Deb, $275,000 we're getting
a lot closer to having to do that marshmallow challenge.