Comedian and campaigner Magda Szubanski with interfaith friends Patrick Abbound, Father Rod Bower and others, have launched a fundraising campaign to speak to the love and acceptance of the Australian people. Within the first two hours, the campaign has raised $50,000 to support children with cancer, and at-risk LGBTQI youth.
Speaking on the Project, Szubanski said that the campaign “hopes to raise $500,000” to help the Children’s Cancer Foundation and Twenty10. “In response to Israel Folau, we are not going to argue or fight. We are going to try and show a better way. A group of Christian, Jewish, Muslim, atheist, straight, LGBTQI friends have come together to start a GoFundMe campaign,” said Szubanski. “Let’s show that there are many of us who wish to use faith – or even no faith – to unite us rather than divide.”
The Children’s Cancer Foundation “was founded by parents who fought for their children to be allowed to be children. After all, a sick child is still a child, and there isn’t one child who doesn’t delight in play and laughter and singing and dancing.” The Foundation distributes funds towards research, patient care, and family support. 90% of all donations raised by the campaign will go to the CCF.
Twenty10 is a Sydney based service working across New South Wales, providing a broad range of specialised services including housing, mental health, counselling and social support for young people aged 12-25 of diverse sexualities and genders. 10 per cent of all donations raised by the campaign will go to Twenty10. Abboud said “Faith or no faith, we can unite rather than divide if we just try to live from a place of love and respect. It’s not rocket science, it’s simply the way life should be for all of us and that’s what we’re trying to say with #ForLove”.
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