Carrie Bickmore’s voice cracked and her eyes welled with tears on Monday night as she proudly announced that her charity, Carrie’s Beanies 4 Brain Cancer, had raised more than $1 million for disease research.
The Project host was teary as she sat with her fellow panellist on desk and thanked all those who had supported the charity she’d launched one year ago in memory of her late husband.
“Because of your generosity we have reached our million dollars [goal]; 1.1 million,” she announced.
“To each and every one of you who have bought a beanie, seeing all the pics coming up on social media, families and babies and kids and, you know, I don’t know any of you, but I feel like I know you all,” she added.
The sweet message was set to a slide show of pictures of people suffering brain cancer, which included the person who inspired Carrie’s fundraising mission.
“The image we’re about to see is of my late husband Greg and he is the reason I did this all,” she said.
Greg, who is father to Carrie’s eldest child, Oliver, died of brain cancer in 2010.
The 35-year-old had a hopeful message to those out there affected by the illness: “And I want to say to anybody who is suffering from brain cancer right now: we will use this money and we will use it to try and make your future brighter.”
Carrie promised to order more beanie’s next year as she’d sold out but also said that if anyone wanted to support the cause they still could donate at her website.