Brissy4Ward rallies media stars as Sony Foundation hits 50,000 nights

Sony Foundation’s annual Brissy4Ward event returns to Howard Smith Wharves on Thursday, 20 August, as its You Can Stay program reaches 50,000 funded accommodation nights for regional young Australians with cancer.

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The milestone comes six years after the program launched in 2020. In that time, it has provided more than 550 regional families with free accommodation while they travel for specialised cancer treatment.

Media and entertainment names join Brissy4Ward

Brissy4Ward brings together figures from Queensland’s media, entertainment and business sectors to raise funds and awareness for young Australians with cancer. This year’s event will feature Australian country artist Tyla Rodrigues and Sony Music artist Dylan Wright.

Hosting duties will be shared by Kip Wightman and Alana Riley from ARN; Melissa Downes, Joel Dry and Peter Psaltis from Nine Network; and Nick Allen-Ducat, David “Luttsy” Lutteral and Susie O’Neill from NOVA Entertainment.

Seven Network’s Max Futcher and Sarah Greenhalgh will also host, alongside Sony Foundation ambassador Giaan Rooney OAM.

You Can Stay reaches 50,000 nights

Delivered in partnership with Quest Apartment Hotels, You Can Stay provides free, uncapped accommodation to Australians aged 15 to 29 who need to travel from regional areas for cancer treatment.

Sony Foundation CEO Sophie Ryan-McPhee said the 50,000-night milestone showed both the program’s impact and the continuing demand for accommodation support.

“We are incredibly proud to reach 50,000 nights of funded accommodation through our You Can Stay program. It is a significant milestone, made possible by the generosity of our partners and supporters who share our belief that distance should never stand between a young person and the cancer care they need.

“You Can Stay launched in 2020 to help remove distance as a barrier to accessing life-saving cancer care, particularly for the one in three young people with cancer who live in regional areas. While this milestone is significant, it is also a powerful reminder of why this program is so important and why there is still more work to do,” Ryan-McPhee said.

A 400km fundraising effort

The event will also hear from Marcus Heironymus, a 25-year-old cancer survivor from Goondiwindi who recently completed a 400km walk to Brisbane as part of The Chemo Commute.

Heironymus has raised more than $130,000 for You Can Stay. He was diagnosed with testicular cancer at 16 in 2017, before the accommodation program existed, and regularly travelled to Brisbane for treatment with his family.

Sony Foundation said around 1,200 young Australians are diagnosed with cancer each year, with one in three living in regional areas. Since 2010, the foundation has committed more than $18 million to its national youth cancer initiative, You Can.