Sony Foundation’s River4Ward Raises Record-Breaking Amount

Sony Foundation’s River4Ward has raised a record-breaking $815,000 for young Australians with cancer at their annual fundraising lunch held at The Glasshouse in Victoria.

The event marks 15 years of the Foundation’s You Can youth cancer initiative, which has transformed cancer care for young people across Australia.

The fundraising extravaganza featured performances by Amy Shark and Jem Cassar-Daley, alongside a Fireside Chat with sporting icons Damien Oliver, Mason Cox, and Meg Lanning in discussion with Seven’s Jason Richardson.

The event attracted numerous Victorian personalities, including media figures Tom Steinfort, Alicia Loxley, Mike Amor, Lauren Phillips, Jase Hawkins, and Stephen Quartermain, alongside Sony Foundation Board members including Chair Cathy O’Connor and CEO Sophie Ryan-McPhee.

Since its launch in 2010, Sony Foundation’s You Can initiative has raised over $20 million to revolutionise youth cancer care in Australia. These funds have built five purpose-built youth cancer centres nationwide, supported specialist youth-focused cancer research, and provided accommodation for regional patients through the Foundation’s You Can Stay program.

An emotional moment came from youth cancer survivor Aidyn Clements, who shared her powerful story of resilience through cancer treatment.

At just 22, the rural Tasmanian mother of two was diagnosed with Ewing’s Sarcoma, forcing her to relocate to Melbourne for treatment. Through the You Can Stay program, Aidyn and her family received free accommodation near her treating hospital for over 275 nights.

“Without Sony Foundation’s You Can Stay Program, I truly don’t know how we would have coped,” Clements said. “We had worked so hard to build a safe, loving home for our boys, a place filled with warmth, and stability. The thought of losing our home under the weight of financial stress was terrifying.”

The disparity in cancer outcomes for regional Australians is stark – one in three Australians diagnosed with cancer live in regional or remote areas and are 1.3 times more likely to die from their diagnosis than metropolitan patients. For young patients aged 15-29, these challenges are magnified by a fragmented care system lacking youth-specific treatment and support.

Funds raised at River4Ward 2025 will support the You Can Stay program, which provides free, unlimited accommodation for young regional cancer patients and their families who must travel to city hospitals for treatment. Since launching in 2020, the initiative has delivered over 35,000 nights of accommodation across Australia.

Sophie Ryan-McPhee, CEO of Sony Foundation, emphasised the urgency of this support: “Imagine being told you have cancer and then being told that to survive, you need to leave your home, your schooling or job, your community, and find a way to afford months of living in a city far from everything and everyone you know. That’s the reality for too many young Australians.