Fundraising

Alongside the support of our regular donors, we were very fortunate to receive some outstanding additional support this year from the NSW Bar Association and The Drinks Association.

We want to thank the generous (and very fit!) barristers from the NSW Bar Association (especially Arthur Moses, who led the charge on the fundraising), who ran in the Sydney Half-Marathon to raise over $10,000 for the Foundation.

A big thank you also to Georgia Lennon, Rachel Wormald and Kylie Le Lievre from The Drinks Association for selecting us as their charity to support this year. The Drinks Association raised over $8,000 for the Katrina Dawson Foundation at their annual International Women’s Day fundraising lunch.

International Women’s Day fundraising lunch hosted by The Drinks Association. From left to right: Angus Dawson, Hannah Jones, Amy Cooper, Georgina Ferreira and Nikki Dawson.

At the lunch, Georgina Ferreira (2021 KDF Scholar) spoke beautifully about the impact the KDF scholarship has had on her life, and she was ably supported by Hannah Jones (2021 KDF) and Amy Cooper (KDF 2020). Read Georgina’s funny and candid speech below.

For those of you who don’t know me, which is probably most of you (!), my name is Georgina. Like all good speeches, they start off with a quote. And this one has stuck with me and was said by Nikki Dawson; she goes “Georgina, when you make the Forbes 30 under 30, will you remember my name?” This one is special because 6 years ago, 15-year-old me would probably have laughed in your face if you told me I’d be standing here. Firstly, because I had just moved from South Africa, which is obviously a whole thing on its own, and secondly, because I probably would have been in detention, so you wouldn't have been able to tell me (!). So it’s safe to say I wasn’t quite the bright and shining star when I first moved to Sydney.

I’m not sure when that changed. But I think it was around the time where I was playing on an oval that was sand and not grass, and having to learn in demountable classrooms because the buildings were full of asbestos. Although I was full of it, I knew I wanted better. So, I put my head down, became school captain, participated in a national figure skating competition, volunteered on Sundays and much more. I knew at the end of Year 12 that financially college was not viable, but I was 100% worthy of being there and I knew I would find a way. I knew I wanted the best of the best.

So, in comes the Katrina Dawson Foundation. When I found out that I could go to college because of the scholarship, I actually don’t think I slept until the day I moved in. I was ecstatic. I thought “OMG ... I’ve made it.”

I was humbled pretty quickly at college, but eventually managed to find my feet. And what I found incredible was that although the version of myself that entered college and the one that’s standing here today are quite different, I have been supported by the Katrina Dawson Foundation through every single stage — and not just financially.

I decided at the beginning of my second year that retail work or nannying weren't quite for me, and I needed to get an internship and really start putting the skills I did have to use. My mentor, Renee, who I got through my KDF scholarship, was an incredible help through this. She was handpicked by Nikki and she is perfect and I’d honestly consider her a friend. She helped me land my first internship at a start-up company, something that I’m extremely passionate about, and really guided me through that process. I learned how to work as a team, manage my time, back myself and my ideas and so much more. In moments when I reflect about the scholarship, what it does, and what it means, and the impact it’s had on myself and the other girls, I’m often lost for words. For a family to take really deep, and horrible loss, and use it as a way to make lifelong impacts on so many other young women is something that I will forever be in awe of and will be forever grateful for and I can genuinely say that I am really proud to be here and proud to be a KDF scholar.

Thank you.