Broadford resident Renata ‘Rennie’ Hobbs has taken to the town’s centre with a sea of purple this month, raising funds for a cause close to her heart.
Ms Hobbs, a National Disability Insurance Scheme, NDIS, participant, lost her mother, Sharon, to pancreatic cancer last year.
When Sharon died, Ms Hobbs was not only left without her mother, but a best friend and carer.
Broadford-based NDIS support provider Local Country Care assisted Ms Hobbs in getting access to the scheme after her mother died.
While working with Ms Hobbs, Local Country Care owner and support coordinator Sue Tivey learnt she was eager to find a way to honour her mother.
Ms Tivey linked Ms Hobbs with the PanCare Foundation, which funds research for upper gastrointestinal cancers.
And with the added bonus purple being the foundation’s colour, Sharon’s favourite colour, Ms Hobbs was delighted to begin fundraising for the cause in memory of her mother.
This month, Ms Hobbs has been working toward her target of walking 68 kilometres, symbolic of the 68 Australians who die from gastrointestinal cancers each day.
Calling the walk ‘Sharon’s Pure White Lily Walk’ in homage to her mother’s favourite flower, Ms Hobbs has tallied her steps around town with her support workers’ assistance.
Additionally, every Thursday and Saturday of September, weather dependent, residents have found Ms Hobbs between the Broadford Newsagency and High Street Bakery in her purple tutu, fairy wings and feather headpiece, selling raffle tickets for the cause.
Ms Tivey helped Ms Hobbs source raffle prizes from Broadford and Kilmore businesses, who were generous in their donations to the appeal.
“Rennie went to the places where she shops, where she goes and they know her. Everyone was really generous,” Ms Tivey said.
“She got some absolutely ripper prizes.”
Ms Tivey said the generosity of the community had left Ms Hobbs ‘overwhelmed’.
“The most amazing thing has been the support from the community,” she said.
“People and passersby literally walk up, put $20 on the table and we’ll say ‘would you like some raffle tickets?’ and they go ‘no, no, that’s a donation, it’s for Rennie’.
“She has been overwhelmed by the generosity – that’s what she constantly says to me.
“She just keeps saying ‘Mum would be so proud’.”
A familiar and friendly face around town, the Broadford community have been quick to support Ms Hobbs in her cause.
“She’s got the best sense of humour – she’s just absolute gold, we love her to bits,” Ms Tivey said.
“She’s a really intelligent woman, she’s got an amazing life story, she is full of cheek and just a joy to be around.”
Ms Hobbs hopes to raise $1200 by the end of the month.
As of Monday, she had raised $1111 – now in the final stages of closing out on her target.
Ms Hobbs welcomes people to donate to the cause by visiting .
People can catch Ms Hobbs in Broadford’s town centre this Thursday and Saturday to buy raffle tickets.
Ms Hobbs will draw the raffle on September 30.
