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Marie is one of our fantastic participants who has an exceptional talent for making all things craft. From handmade bags to plush lions, she even has hand-painted artwork. Her craft skills form the backbone of the business she started, named “Made by Cool Marie,” where she takes her talent and passion from making these adorable artworks and selling them to the public. But this isn’t about making money. Marie donates all her profits from selling her work to the “Sydney Children’s Hospital.”
Why this devotion and drive to raise funds for a hospital? When Marie was young, she needed three major surgeries, all of which took place at the Sydney Children’s Hospital in Randwick. According to her mother, Santina, “Afterwards, every time we would drive past the Hospital, instead of being scared of the Hospital, Marie would say, ‘That’s my hospital; they helped me get well’.”
When Marie was older, unbeknownst to anyone, she would save up her pocket money and travel to the Hospital all by herself, putting what she could into the hospital’s Gold Telethon hosted by Channel 9. Marie’s family only became aware of this when they saw a photo of Marie on Channel 9’s Facebook page, which inspired countless messages of support from the community, who were inspired by her generosity.
While donating to the Gold Telethon became an annual event, Marie was still left with the desire to do more for the hospital that had done so much for her. This led her to take her love of crafting and her care for the hospital and start her own crafting business. Marie sells her art at Pop-up stalls at Eastgardens shopping centre and also gets invited to hold Stalls at other Shopping centres & various venues.
This is all necessary background for you to know that Marie has raised $6,800 for the children’s hospital this year by selling her craft goods. This is a fantastic achievement, and we are so proud of Marie and her work. We would also like to give a big thank you to Marie’s family for creating such a fantastic foundation of support for Marie.
During COVID, Marie was guided to lose a little weight to maintain a healthy lifestyle at the recommendation of a Heart Specialist. Marie took this recommendation and ran with it, losing a staggering 20kg, getting down to an average weight and achieving a super fit and healthy lifestyle.
With her newfound fitness, Marie began participating in Sydney’s City2Surf, a 14-km fun run. Participants aren’t required to run but rather to take it at their own pace. They are, however, invited to find sponsors to raise money for their favourite charities. So naturally, Marie put on her favourite runners, flexed her athletic side, and walked the entire course. Marie raised $1,217 for the Sydney Children’s Hospital in her first year of participation. Inspired by her passion, Marie motivated her sister, Natalie, her mother, Santia, and two close friends to join her team of five. Together, they completed the 14-km walk in 3 hours, raising a staggering $1,982, with Marie enjoying every minute of it. It was an outstanding effort that she and her family can be proud of.
This wasn’t the first time Marie participated in charity drives to raise money. She has also taken part in 12-km fundraisers for Parkinson’s and Northcott. She’s a machine when it comes to travelling the distance to raise money. The “12 km Parkinson’s Walk” was organised by a close family friend after Marie’s Dad was diagnosed with Parkinson’s. The walk comforted their family, knowing the money raised would support Parkinson’s research. With the help of 20 friends who joined them, Marie raised over $3,200 for this important cause. In the case of the “12-km walk for Northcott”, Marie was approached by Northcott and asked if she would like to help raise funds for their young clients. These clients lacked NDIS or Medicare coverage due to residency issues and urgently needed therapeutic support. Without hesitation, Marie said yes and raised over $1,600 to support them.
Her charity work doesn’t stop at raising funds. She also likes to volunteer her time by working at Meals on Wheels weekly, which she has done over the past three years. She does this on top of her regular Monday through Friday work. We’ll never know where she finds the energy to fit all this in.
However, her achievements don’t stop there. Sydney Children’s Hospital has also appointed Marie as one of its ambassadors. As an active member of the Kids Army, Marie dedicates herself to raising awareness and making a real impact in her community.
Marie’s incredible efforts did not go unnoticed. Her community nominated her for a Community Award, which she proudly received on Australia Day from the Mayor of Randwick.
Bayside Council also invited Marie to join their “Disability Inclusion Action Plan Working Group,” a panel that meets regularly to enhance the lives of people with disabilities in her community.
Marie also shared her powerful voice at various speaking engagements. Her most recent speech at Western Sydney University, attended by over 100 doctors, professors, and specialists, centred on advocating for people with disabilities. She emphasised their abilities and invaluable contributions to our community.
Regarding the driving force behind Marie’s dedication to raising money for the Children’s Hospital, Marie said, “My motto for the Sydney Children’s Hospital has always been, ‘Seeing the kiddies at the hospital get better makes me very happy!’ So, raising this much money for them makes me feel over the moon!”
When we asked her what she had planned for next year, she told us, “My hope for next year is to continue having the same level of energy and magnetism that my charity work attracts—it has a life and vibe of its own!”
Keep up the great work Cool Marie, we can’t wait to see what you do next.
We acknowledge the connections of First Nations People of Australia to the land, sea and community on which we live and work. As custodians of this sacred land we respect and acknowledge Elders, past, present and emerging.