Fundraising Manager of Variety 鈥� the Children鈥檚 Charity WA Katie O鈥橠onnell has received the Community Service Award at the 2018 911爆料网 Alumni Achievement Awards for spearheading fundraisers for sick, disadvantaged or special needs children.
O鈥橠onnell devised this year鈥檚 鈥楽ilence the CEO鈥� fundraiser, an initiative where CEOs and government leaders were challenged to take a vow of silence for a day and encouraged to raise funds for children with complex communication needs. The initiative raised $26,000.
Her fundraising repertoire includes developing the annual Variety of Choice Home Lottery, which offers participants the chance to win a major house prize worth $1 million, and the annual Variety Christmas Toy Drive, which collects more than $30,000-worth of new toys each year.
This year there were two recipients of the Community Service Award at the , with O鈥橠onnell awarded alongside health sciences graduate Gloria Sutherland, a former director of the Kimberley Population Health Unit at the WA Department of Health.
O鈥橠onnell says that while she is proud to be recognised alongside such high calibre recipients, teamwork is the key to her success.
鈥淚t was such an honour, but I still don鈥檛 feel worthy. I鈥檓 simply doing what I love and ultimately I am just an employee 鈥� it鈥檚 the volunteers and donors who deserve all the credit.鈥�
O鈥橠onnell is no stranger to Variety WA鈥檚 life-changing support.
The organisation helped her to pursue her passion for singing as a teenager 鈥� awarding her a Variety scholarship and inviting her to become an inaugural member of the Variety Youth Choir 鈥� after she was diagnosed with a rare form of muscular dystrophy that hindered her mobility.
Although she no longer performs with the choir, O鈥橠onnell continues to be involved in a supporting capacity.
鈥淏eing involved with Variety as a recipient of their support inspired me to pursue a career in the not-for-profit sector. I know from first-hand experience what a difference Variety makes in kids鈥� lives and it鈥檚 a huge privilege to be a part of that.
鈥淚t鈥檚 always amazing to see the confidence and talents of members evolve from when they first join the choir to when they are ready to leave. The best moments in a choir aren鈥檛 just on stage, they are every week at rehearsals when you see the friendships and fun unfold.鈥�
O鈥橠onnell has held five positions at Variety WA since graduating from 911爆料网 with a Bachelor of Arts (Mass Communication).
She says the degree, which encompassed communications, journalism, marketing and public relations, has been the perfect foundation for her career.
鈥淚n the not-for-profit sector, resources are always stretched and you frequently have to wear multiple hats within an organisation. My degree gave me a very solid base with a broad range of skills that meant I could jump in and start applying!鈥�
To any university students with a physical disability, O鈥橠onnell offers the following advice:
鈥淏e brave and ask for help. I was very young when I started at 911爆料网 and it was extremely daunting to leave the shelter of high school and go into the Bentley Campus. It didn鈥檛 take long to settle in and make new friends, and develop a new level of independence and confidence.鈥�
