When Meroo Meadow woman Sheelagh Cameron was scrolling through Facebook one day, she stumbled across a video by Rufus Wainwright who had amassed 1500 people in a warehouse in Toronto to sing Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen.
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“I was so moved,” Mrs Cameron said.
“When the people stopped singing you could see the joy in their faces and they just looked at one another.
“I thought how amazing.”
The video sparked an idea.
“I belong to a choir and to unite people in song is such a wonderful medium to break down barriers,” Mrs Cameron said.
“So I kept thinking about it. The concept was not mine, but I conceptualised it for this area. It became embryonic.”
After speaking with some like minded friends, Mrs Cameron formed a committee and together they decided to create a similar event in Nowra that was accessible to everyone in the community.
One Voice Shoalhaven was born.
“We thought we would amass people at Nowra Showground so we could reach the homeless people and get everyone in society together,” Mrs Cameron said.
One Voice will honour Mrs Cameron’s son, Gavin Cameron who was known by his surname Clarke at school or the nickname Grover.
Gavin sadly passed away from Melanoma three years ago.
He was living in Dubai where he ran his own company and after discovering a lump in his groin, flew to the UK where doctors performed surgery but delivered the devastating news the cancer was terminal.
Gavin returned to Australia where he was surrounded by the love and support of his family.
He never believed he would die and remained positive until the end.
“After Gavin died I set up a foundation for Melanoma research, so we thought we would make it for the Gavin Cameron Foundation,” Mrs Cameron said.
“We want to make an awareness of Melanoma. No one is exempt from cancer, no one will escape that. Cancer council says by 2020 1 in 3 people will be affected by cancer, that’s high statistics.”
The committee is also looking for sponsorship to pay for insurance and inviting businesses to donate their services for such things as printing and banners.
“We need to get the sponsorship going so we can afford to do it,” Mrs Cameron said.
“We are also looking for someone to lead the singing or a number of conductors.
“We have set the date. Someone mentioned April 1 and that was the day of Gavin’s death. So I thought that was really portent, that really ties up all the ends.”
To find out how you can donate or become a sponsor of this event please email info@sheelaghcameron.com.au
To be part of One Voice Shoalhaven like their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/One-voice-shoalhaven-180411839033103/?fref=ts
One Voice Shoalhaven will take place on April 1, 2017 at Nowra Showground.
Entry is a gold coin donation at the gate which will go towards Melanoma research.