A charitable night of laughs with Samuel Johnson

The community can get to know Gold Logie-winning actor and 2018 Victorian Australian of the Year Samuel Johnson as he hosts “An Evening with Samuel Johnson” in Torquay as part of his cancer charity Love Your Sister’s fundraising campaign.

During the talk show event on July 1 at the Torquay Surf Life Saving Club, Johnson will shed light on the emotional challenges and triumphs of his journey of forming the charity with his late sister Connie, who tragically passed away from the disease in 2017.

Johnson will ask individuals and businesses to join him in his commitment to improving access to life-saving precision medicine for all cancer patients, regardless of their income, or where they are based.

“Being a Victorian, I know Torquay really well and have absolutely loved coming to the area since I was quite young,” Johnson said.

“We want to spread the message of having precision medicine and life saving treatment available to everyone, especially those outside the major cities.”

Johnson spoke of the damning statistic that presently only four percent of cancer patients are on precision medicine, all of which live in major cities and all of which are in clinical trials.

The 2018 Victorian Australian of the Year said that if his own sister Connie had access to precision medicine 10 years ago, then she would arguably have survived.

“We have the potential to supply precision medicine, but the access just isn’t there for everyone.

“I’m trying to do what the scientific community has told me to do and communicate to everybody that if we know precision medicine exists, then we want it now.”

Since its inception in 2012, Love Your Sister has raised over $15 million for medical cancer research with millions of Australians committed to vanquishing cancer with hard science and the best new technologies.

The charity presently supports various cancer researchers across the country including The Connie Johnson Breast Cancer Research Laboratory, The Macquarie University Cancer Biobank, the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute and many more.

“An Evening with Samuel Johnson” will also delve into his whopping 364-day 16,000km ride on a unicycle to raise money for the charity, providing listeners with a fun-loving insight into eating a live huntsman, bunjee jumping with his unicycle, kissing a rainbow trout and riding a stag, all to raise donations.

“I’ve proven I will stop at nothing for a donation and by doing so I’ve faced plenty of my fears,” Johnson said.

“I guarantee the coarsest possible language on the night. It will certainly be absurd, hilarious, and of course heartfelt. There’s some filthy showbiz yarns as well as personal stories that will blow your mind.”

All proceeds from the night will go straight back into the charity, no skimming and no admin.

“We are forging our own path and pass on 100 per cent of everything which all goes straight back into research,” Johnson said.

“We’ve set some massive goals for the future and by achieving and working towards precision medicine, we can truly make a difference.

“Attitude is super important; I will work as hard as I can and I’d rather die trying to make a difference.

“I want Torquay to go off like a frog in a sock because the Surf Coast means a lot to us.”

From any donation, Love Your Sister passes on 100 per cent of their proceeds to scientific research.

The event begins at 6:30pm at the Torquay SLSC on July 1.

To see full event details or to get involved and donate to Love Your Sister, head to mycause.com.au/events/lysfamilyfunday-surfcoastvic