By Mitchell Clarke
Cancer crusader and Gold Logie winner Samuel Johnson has returned to Pakenham, almost 10 months after picking up his custom made motorhome from Avan Caravans.
The former actor is almost half way through his two year quest around Australia, where he intends to raise awareness and donations towards cancer research, following the death of his beloved sister Connie.
“We’ve done over 500 events since I left the Avan premises in Pakenham and I’ve been staying in extraordinary comfort,” Johnson told the Gazette.
“I’ve been hammering it – visiting primary schools, high schools, workplaces, street parties, home visits, and marquee fundraisers.”
The iconic Australian has become synonymous with the fight against cancer, launching his Love Your Sister charity – a million-strong village of everyday Aussies committed to defeating all kinds of cancer.
“I’m very serious about what I do – I take the piss a lot but I’m incredibly serious about what I do,” Johnson said.
“Now I’m really kind of unleashing my next level community engagement strategy which I’ve developed after eight years of fundraising.”
Johnson was in Pakenham on Tuesday 18 February to launch a new partnership with Regal Sleep Solutions.
“During our sale periods, every time someone comes in and mentions Love Your Sister or that they’re a villager, they will get a further 10 percent off the sale price and 10 percent will go straight to Love Your Sister,” Regal Sleep Solutions Pakenham store manager Deb Leeden said.
The family business wanted to continue supporting the local community and said it “meant a lot” to be able to help through the partnership program.
“One of my passions is Love Your Sister and we’ve lost a few great team members and family to cancer,” Ms Leeden added.
“Cancer isn’t discriminatory and we’ve all lost people – it’s really important that we support and get the best treatment for those who will still be suffering, so it was amazing for Sam to come down.”
The incredibly popular personality said the partnership meant “the world” to him.
“I’m so thrilled that Regal give a s**t about cancer patients – a healthy person spends a third of their life in bed, double that for a cancer patient, minimum,” he explained.
“It’s important that our patients stay comfortable, so if they can get the best care in hospitals and then get the best care back at home with Regal, then we’re getting somewhere.
“It’s not just about raising money for science, it’s about actually caring for our sick and that’s what Regal care about.
“Typically, these sick people are our mums and our dads and they need to get on with ‘mummying and daddying’, so it’s important they get the right kind of rest to do so.”
The partnership officially began on Tuesday 18 February and the company said they intend to keep it in place forever.
