Cashing in for a cause

By Lia Bichel
IT WAS a night to remember as more than 110 people attended a special event to raise money for cancer and pay tribute to a close friend.
Narre Warren South resident Karen Johns and her daughter, Erin Johnston from Pakenham, held “A Night To Remember” at the Beaconsfield Community Complex and raised more than $10,000 for cancer research.
The disease claimed the life of their good friend Jenny Cappola, 53.
Ms Cappola was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2002 and lost her battle in February this year. Mrs Johns, 53, and Mrs Johnston, 24, have held a ‘Girls Night In’ for Cancer Council every year since the diagnosis to raise money for women’s cancer research.
“After losing Jenny we wanted to do a big event this year which is when we started planning our ‘Night To Remember,’” Mrs Johnston said.
“We had a goal to raise $5000; we knew this was going to take lots of hard work and planning, but mum and I were up for the challenge. We ended up raising a total of $10,378.50!”
The duo remembered their close friend as a nice woman with a great sense of humour and said they were proud to hold an event in remembrance of her while raising money to find a cure.
“Jenny was brave. For eight years she fought her diagnosis of cancer. She fought with dignity, never self pitying or negative; she never gave up, right to the very end,” Mrs Johns said.
“When someone you love gets a diagnosis of cancer you feel helpless and like there is nothing you can do.”
“(Holding a Girls Night In) is a small way to make a difference and hopefully one day a cure will be found, but it will only be though research and testing which cost dearly.”
Mrs Johnston said they received a lot of support from family, friends and the community.
“We put in a lot of hard work and planning. But our night would not have been as successful or special without the generosity from the large number of donations we received. The response we received was fantastic,” she said.
“ Darren Burke and the team from Grants Real Estate Agency in Berwick, Beck Phelan and her team at Cardinia Events, Leah’s Design, Leah Bryant and the ANZ Bank of Pakenham, City of Casey mayor Lorraine Wreford and Andrew Swift for our incredible live entertainment. My dad, Luke Johns, was the MC of the night and hosted the events flawlessly, and my husband Glen supported me through the emotional journey of planning something on this scale.”