Dubbo's 2024 Citizen of the Year, Molly Croft.

Molly Croft is the 2024 Dubbo Citizen of the Year for her work in raising awareness about sarcoma. She started the Tie-Dye Project, which raises funds for sarcoma research. Molly battled osteosarcoma herself and wants to create awareness about this "forgotten cancer." She is also involved in sports coaching and is the youngest ever New South Wales basketball-accredited level one coach. Molly has spoken at events like Stand Tall 2023 to inspire young people and give them hope. She believes in creating a positive difference and is grateful for her experiences. devices and more. We do it all. SOS Phone Repairs Dubbo, in the big red local of Pines Rental Building, 126 Darling Street Dubbo, or call 1800 PHONES. Our area is important, just like the world around us. Explore both and enjoy your favourite songs with Mark Lynch. 1-5 weekday afternoons on 2DU, a part of your life. And at 14 past 8 for Australia Day 2024, a twilight event was held in Wellington on last Thursday to recognise Australia Day and encourage inclusivity among the community. Members of the Wellington community were honoured with Australia Day awards. Dr Mike Orgy was named as Wellington's 2024 Citizen of the Year for his commitment to the environment, love of education and sharing of knowledge of Australia's flora and fauna. Carolyn White, fondly known as Carol, was named Wellington's 2024 Senior Citizen of the Year for her 55 years of service to the Wellington community. The 2024 Young Sportsperson of the Year was Samantha Thompson and Macquarie Correctional Centre's Inside Art was named as the 2024 Community Event of the Year in Wellington. Now in Dubbo, the ceremony was held on Australia Day and hundreds attended the event there with the hard work of community members recognised during the ceremony there. And the awards this year, Dubbo's Citizen of the Year was Molly Croft, Dennis Crimmins was announced as Dubbo's Senior Citizen of the Year. Mia Richardson, Dubbo's Young Citizen of the Year. Arofili Davis received recognition as the Cultural Person of the Year. Daniel Barber, 2024 Sportsperson of the Year. Ella Penman, Young Sportsperson of the Year. And Mel Pocknell was recognised for his services to sport. And joining me in the studio, the 2024 Dubbo's Citizen of the Year, Molly Croft. Well, hello again. Hello, thanks for having me. I'll have to get you in to do my lotto numbers all the time there. That could be an official duty. Obviously, you were chuffed to get this award, but what you do, which we'll talk about shortly, you don't do for these accolades. You do it because it's a, well, it's a very, very important cause. But would you agree now that the profile as part of being the Dubbo's Citizen of the Year will actually help you, you know, bring awareness to what you talk about? Oh, for sure. I don't do anything I do for the accolades. I had to go through a cancer journey battling osteosarcoma myself, and I know how lucky I am to still be here. So to get up, share my story, raise a bit of money, it's so important to me. But to win an award like Dubbo's Citizen of the Year, it still feels very surreal. But like you said, it gives me another platform to share my story and create that awareness about sarcoma. Very early on when we talked, when they chucked me into 2D Breakfast the first time, we talked about the Tie-Dye Project, right? That, what's, remind us what that's about and give us an update of where that is now. So the Tie-Dye Project is my, well, we're in the process of standing on our own two feet and getting all of that fun stuff like a DGR status. But pretty much it's all about making rainbows and fighting sarcoma. When I was sick in hospital, I was lucky enough to meet the incredible Amy Parmenter, one of our Australian Diamond Net Ballers. And we came together after just a random by chance meeting, and she asked me if I'd like to jump on board the Tie-Dye Project and make it something really special. So we came together in 2019, and we tied a thousand t-shirts, raising $25,000. And then in 2023, after a few years of it being in Sydney, we came to Dubbo and we did Tie-Dye on tour. And over 2023, we've actually raised about $480,000 between 2022 and 2023 over that Christmas period. And then we've just finished our end of 2023 Tie-Dye Project festival, which was held in Randwick in Sydney, and we're up to about $100,000. But we tie-dyed things from towels, sweat towels, socks, t-shirts, pretty much everything in between. We've raised about that $100,000, but this year we went a little bit different. We dropped all the prices of all of our products and we tried to make it about that awareness side of things. So we have sold thousands of products this year, which means that there's thousands of more people wearing our tie-dye. Pat Cummins, little boy, Albie, he's been seen in the tie-dye. Owen Finnegan, one of our ex-union players and so many netballers. I think we're doing pretty good considering sarcoma affects tall, sporty kids. Absolutely. And your awareness through initiatives like the Tie-Dye Project, the awareness now of sarcoma-related tie-dye projects and that sort of thing, it must have increased many folds, surely. Oh, for sure. Sarcoma, although being the first cancer ever discovered, it's often referred to as the forgotten cancer. So my cancer unfortunately kills more 0-24-year-olds than any other type. And there's some really terrible statistics. Like I said, I know how lucky I am to be here. So to get up and share my story with people like the Kids Cancer Project, the Cooper Esperating Foundation, we all work together to create that awareness and that money, much-needed funding. Now, you're just 17 years of age, aren't you? Yes, I am. And it was, you've been, and forgive me for this, this is a rather long name, since around your 12th birthday, you've been battling high-grade metastatic osteoblastic osteosarcoma. Yes. Is that right? Yeah. But everything that I've read, you're a beacon of hope and inspiration to many people. The way you face this, and I think too, and I see the smile on your face and things like that. A lot of people I know who have battled with cancer, they've said to me that it's all where the difference is made is in your mind and your outlook. And I think looking at you, I mean, you just radiate warmth. You just get out there and you do your thing, don't you? Oh, I try my best. You know, we all have bad days, but I definitely try my best. I remember one time I was in hospital, I was nearly diagnosed and an older nurse who had been there, she'd kill me for calling her an older nurse, but she'd been there for a while. And she came in and said to my mum, I know Mo's going to be okay. And it was a big call to make. You don't say that. And mum said, why do you say that? And she said, because she's got that positive outlook. She knows she's got the hope and that makes a big difference. So from that point on, I did that. But I've got a bit of a present for you. The Tie-Dye Project did caps this year with making rainbows and fighting sarcoma on the back. And all the cool kids are wearing them. Why are you giving it to me? I brought you one to wear over the summer period so that you can get the sun off your face as well. I'm going to open this. I'm going to have to take my headphones off and put this on. So what would you, that's a, it's a different colour blue. It's not a powder blue, but it's a very light blue, isn't it? Yeah, no, it's, it's what all the cool kids are wearing. We had lots of discussions about what colour, but that's the one we came to. So I've got it out in you now. So it says on the front, making rainbows, fighting sarcoma on the back. So I'm going to, I'm going to chuck my headphones off for you in a minute. So there you go. And now, I'll put it on. Actually, should I, should I look like a homie and turn it around that way? I reckon it works either. That's why we've put it on front and back. I'll leave it on backwards because, I'll leave it, I'll leave it, I'll leave it on backwards because it might actually go better with the headphones. It actually does. I'll put my headphones back on now. So, well, also Molly, you, you're involved with sports coaching, aren't you? I am. I was lucky enough to grow up playing lots of sport, including basketball and netball. Yeah. And so since being diagnosed, I've had to get all of the bone in my right leg removed and an internal prosthesis put in, which means that I'm no longer allowed to play. But coaching's the next best thing. I'm involved with the Western Region Academy of Sports basketball team. I coach an amazing little under-12s basketball team for Dubbo and I absolutely love it. You are the youngest ever New South Wales basketball-accredited level one coach, aren't you? I am. As soon as I came back, I knew that basketball, that stadium, was my happy place. Before I got diagnosed, I think I was at a sporting complex more than I was at home in my own room. So as soon as I got back home, I knew that I wanted to get back in there and I was lucky enough with the help of Claire Bynum to get my level one accredited coaching certificate, which is really exciting. Good on you. And you know too, you were the youngest ever speaker at Stand Tall 2023. You addressed over 10,000 kids on mental health awareness. Yeah, it was a really big event. It was very surreal. I still think about it as probably one of my favourite things I've ever done in my life. To get up there and be able to share my story to so many young kids who had probably never heard the word sarcoma before and just give them a little bit of hope that, you know, I am just your average 17-year-old kid. I've got to go back to school this week. I'm starting year 12 and, you know, we all have those days. Mum and Dad still get up me for making my room too messy. So I am just one of them and I guess to be able to share that but also know that this just came from having to go through a pretty bad experience but being brave enough to share my story and create that bit of hope, which anybody can do. I think to sum it up with you, Molly, you just create a positive difference, don't you? I try my very best. I truly know how lucky I am. Well, your leadership, your resilience and your compassion, it's truly inspiring and I can see why you've been awarded the 2024 Dubbo Citizen of the Year Award. I wish you well through this year. Thank you. I really, really hope this allows you to take your awareness campaign to another level. Thank you. And I wish you all the very best and I can't wait till we chat again. There'll be things throughout the year. It might not be – I shouldn't say this but it most likely won't be with me on 2 to You because we will have you back, OK, to chat about your stuff throughout the year. Thank you. Molly Croft, Dubbo Citizen of the Year 2024 here on 2 to You. Thank you very much for your time this morning. Thank you so much. 2 to You. It is now 24 past 8. I don't know. Do we have time? We have time for a song. Let's do this one.