By Brendan Rees
Excited fans came cheering as Gold Logie winner actor Samuel Johnson rolled into Cranbourne North on Friday 29 November.
“Hi, I’m Sam, I’m Connie’s brother and I hate cancer,” he said, as he greeted a crowd of about 100 supporters outside IGA supermarket where pink balloons were spread around the street.
His visit was part of his campaign in promoting awareness of cancer and raising money to fight the disease.
Johnson, best known for his roles in the television series The Secret Life of Us and his Gold Logie-winning portrayal of Molly Meldrum, is in the midst of a two year national tour around Australia seeking support for a push for personalised treatment for all cancer patients.
The Dancing with the Stars champion gave an emotional presentation including a video of his fundraising efforts to the crowd.
He said his sister, Connie, fought cancer three times in her life but conceded cancer would never take her joy.
When she was 33, the brother-sister duo, who were born a year a part, co-founded ‘Love Your Sister’ with a goal of raising $10 million for cancer research.
Johnson, 41, who retired from acting last year, has never given up in his campaign following his sister’s death in 2017, visiting more than 1,100 towns to spread the word of his vision for a cancer-free future.
After raising an astounding $10 million in August Johnson said he considered “tieing a neat little bow in it and walk back to my life” but knew Connie “would want me to continue”.
“This has been an amazing experience for me,” he told the crowd.
Eager fans were keen to get a selfie with the TV star during his visit as he set up a table signing books, selling merchandise from his custom-built trailer, and signing certificates for people willing to sign up to his campaign.
Cranbourne North IGA store manager George Melhem said his store was privileged to support Johnson’s ‘Love Your Sister’ campaign.
Johnson also dropped into Bunnings Fountain Gate later in the day where he garnered more support for his campaign.
