Wynnum resident recognised for running Biggest Morning Tea for 19 years

Up till 2017, Heather Williams, originally from Miles in Central Queensland, almost single-handedly organised the ‘Biggest Morning Tea’ Cancer Fundraiser at the Moreton Bay Trailer Boat Club, after losing her daughter to cancer some 21 years ago.

After completing her nineteenth ‘Biggest Morning Tea’ in 2017, Heather handed the baton over to a group of younger ladies, but unfortunately the new higher ticket price was unaffordable for many pensioners who made up some of Heather’s largest group of supporters. Heather felt that she owed it to her base support group of pensioners, and decided to hold a mini morning tea in her own home.

For the past seven years Jonathan Dass Photography have partnered with Wynnum Business member Manson Framers to donate a framed photographic print towards Heather’s annual fundraiser.

Heather has not only sought many corporate and private sponsors for donations of goods and services for the fundraisers, she has also put a lot of her own resources and funds towards these events since its inception. In fact on more than one occasion when Heather herself had a prize through the raffle, she would invariably put the prize back into the raffle so that someone else could win it.

Jonathan Dass takes up the story…

“Last year, Cameron Richardson from Manson Framers and I agreed to put together a framed print especially for Heather to keep for herself. Now, having known Heather for many years, we have come to discover that she is one of the most selfless and generous people we know. She does not like to be in the limelight but would rather quietly work away behind the scenes, spending months preparing and organising the annual cancer fundraiser. Therefore, we decided that, even at the risk of some protestations from her, we would like to make a surprise presentation to her at her private cancer morning tea fundraiser.”

Last Wednesday 22nd May Jonathan made a surprise presentation to Heather of the framed seascape print while she was holding the morning tea event. Armed with a bouquet of pink flowers (donated by the florists at Dolls & Doilies in Bay Terrace) Jonathan thanked Heather for her tireless work over the twenty one years and for her considerable fundraising over that time for The Cancer Council. She was explicitly instructed not to give the print away!

Manson Framers are members and silver sponsors of Wynnum Business.

Photos by Rod Talbot