NIKKI WEBSTER LEADS CANCER COUNCIL EVENT

By Denice Barnes

ENTERTAINER Nikki Webster is Central Coast ambassador for Daffodil Day and spent a day at Erina Fair to help launch the annual event.

Daffodil Day aims to raise money for cancer research, prevention programs and support services for patients and their families.

Webster, helped by team leaders and volunteers, guided 15 children from the Gosford Library toddler storytime group who participated in a “field of hope” event where they coloured in stencils of daffodils and glued them to paddle pop sticks.

The paper flowers were collected to make a small garden of hope which is on display at Gosford Library.

Their garden is one of dozens around the Central Coast where schoolchildren have also participated in the colour-in event and made their own gardens.

Sarah Russell from the Cancer Council’s Central Coast office said she was thrilled Webster had agreed to come on board as the ambassador.

“Nikki wanted to be part of it because of her mother and aunty’s experience with cancer,’’ Ms Russell said.

More than 10,000 volunteers are expected to staff more than 1400 Daffodil Day sites across the country including 600 in NSW.

Source: Central Coast Express Advocate

By Bianca Martins

NIKKI Webster was catapulted to stardom at the age of 13 when she performed at the opening ceremony of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games.

She recently came back into the spotlight after releasing her single Devilicious in June.

But it’s not all about showbiz for the pop sensation.

Webster, 22, will help host Fairfield’s Relay for Life launch at Siena’s Italian Restaurant in Wetherill Park on Saturday along with Adriana Xenides.

“I do a lot of charity work. I’m an ambassador for the Paint a Rainbow Foundation and I help out with Camp Quality,” Webster said.

“I wanted to help out with Relay For Life because I enjoy giving something back to the community.”

The launch will feature a dinner and auction and organisers hope to raise more than $15,000 for the Cancer Council.

Items to be auctioned off on the night include a violin signed by the Three Tenors and Grease memorabilia signed by John Travolta and Olivia Newton John.

“I’m really looking forward to it … I hope people dig deep,” Webster said.

This year’s Fairfield Relay for Life will be held at Brenan Park, Smithfield.

The launch event will will be held at Siena’s Event Centre, above the restaurant at The Horsley Drive, Wetherill Park on August 8 from 6.30pm.

Tickets cost $100 a person and include a three-course meal and drinks.

Bookings: 0409 644 491.

RELAY FOR LIFE

The Fairfield Relay for Life is a 24-hour walkathon to raise money for the Cancer Council.

Participants form or join teams and join in the walk. Teams can camp out on site and enjoy entertainment, food and prizes on offer.

This year’s event will be held at Brenan Park, Smithfield, from September 26-27. Visit www.relayforlife.org.au.

Source: Fairfield Advance

THOSE Strawberry Kisses must be turning someone on.

Jeans belonging to Nikki Webster, the star of the Sydney Olympics opening ceremony, fetched more than $22,000 in the Jeans for Genes auction to raise money for research into children’s genetic diseases.

Despite international stars including Dustin Hoffman, Helen Hunt, Barbra Streisand and Kylie Minogue all donating jeans, which were then painted by artists – it was Webster’s that fetched the highest price.

Painted by local artist David Boyd, they were by far the most popular item of the night and helped take the total amount raised to $230,000.

Hoffman’s jeans, painted by Paul Newton, were the second most popular, fetching $15,600 in the auction held at the Regent Hotel in Sydney on Saturday night.

The money raised at the annual auction goes to the Children’s Medical Research Institute in Sydney’s west to help find the causes of genetic diseases that affect 1 in 20 children.

The Westmead-based institute researches the causes of illnesses such as spina bifida, cerebral palsy and leukaemia.

Every year the first Friday of August is Jeans for Genes Day. This year is the eighth national Jeans for Genes Day. People around the country are asked to don their jeans and buy a badge or make a donation next Friday.

In the last seven years Australians have donated more than $15 million to the cause and last year alone $3.5 million was raised.

Organisers hope to improve on that figure this year and raise $4 million.

Source: Herald Sun