From Grief to Giving Back: How DJ Helped Raise $14,200 for Cancer Council

When DJ Apanui agreed to take part in Stars of Hastings, he did not see himself as the obvious fundraiser. DJ lives in Port Macquarie with his husband Paul and their two children, and although he had already been involved with the event the previous year, providing hair and makeup for participants, stepping into the spotlight himself was another thing entirely. In fact, DJ believed he did not have the kind of network needed to raise serious money.

But then every person he had done hair and makeup for nominated him.

A family reason to say yes

There was also a much deeper reason to say yes. Cancer had already left a profound mark on DJ's family. His mother is a four-time cancer survivor, while his father was diagnosed with an aggressive stage four cancer during the COVID period, when border restrictions made an already devastating situation even harder. DJ was in New South Wales and his father was in Western Australia. Although permission was initially granted for family travel, circumstances changed as borders tightened and getting back became increasingly difficult.

For a close Māori family, that separation was especially painful. Culture, community and being physically present for one another matter deeply, and DJ found himself unable to support his father in the way he wanted to. That was when Cancer Council stepped in.

"Cancer Council were amazing, so very supportive, and found a bunch of people to surround Dad with to be there with him," DJ said. "That really stuck with me."

He became emotional talking about that period. For DJ, the decision to support Cancer Council years later was not abstract philanthropy. It was personal.

"Everyone going through cancer has their own unique personal experience. It is important to share the stories. By sharing we are able to connect and help others know they are not alone."

Thirteen stars, nearly $300,000

Stars of Hastings is part of a broader series of Cancer Council fundraising events where local participants are paired with dance teachers, learn a routine and then perform in competition. DJ first encountered the program from behind the scenes, helping with hair and makeup, and his eventual dance teacher and partner, Teegs, had herself been one of the stars the previous year.

Teegs had her own connection to the event, which added another layer. She had drifted away from dance, but involvement in the program helped reignite both her passion and confidence. Through her business, Support Services For Youth, an NDIS provider, she also supported many of the participants' fundraising efforts.

DJ says one of the most memorable parts of the experience was how collaborative the group became. "We were competitors, but we all realised that the money we were raising was all going to the same place, so it made sense that we should come together and support each other's events."

That sense of shared purpose mattered. Across the group, the 13 participants raised just shy of $300,000 for Cancer Council. DJ raised $14,200 on his own.

When the events did not sell

Cancer Council NSW's Lauren Fraser had encouraged him to take part and helped him set an initial fundraising target of $10,000. But reaching it was not straightforward. DJ organised a Women's Wellness & Connection event and a Disco Gala, and planned to combine those with an auction. But ticket sales for one of his events performed more slowly than expected.

"Port Macquarie usually loves a good party," explained DJ, "so I was surprised when ticket sales were slow." Other participants were having similar experiences, with some planned events cancelled because ticket sales simply did not materialise.

He conceded that fundraising can be hard work.

When DJ contacted Lauren concerned that he might fall short of his $10,000 target, she suggested trying a lucky squares-style fundraiser. DJ went to Google looking for a platform that could help manage a Lucky Squares or 100 Club fundraiser, and that search led him to Lucky Squares Australia.

"It looked pretty schmick," said DJ. He also noticed that payments were processed through Stripe, which gave him confidence in the setup and the professionalism of the platform.

100 squares at $50

DJ launched a 100 square campaign at $50 per square, with a $1,000 first prize. Once the grid sold out, $4,000 remained for Cancer Council. He promoted the campaign at a couple of events and online, and found the online element was particularly important because much of his personal network lived outside Port Macquarie.

"Lucky Squares gave those people a way to take part regardless of where they were, and that became one of the biggest advantages of the format."

DJ described the campaign as a kind of semi-passive fundraiser. It still needed promotion, particularly across social media, but compared with staging events, the workload was very different.

"It doesn't require anywhere near the effort that events do to launch or run," he says.

If your organisation is already stretched by events and auctions, you can build a grid and preview it for free before committing to anything.

Not just asking for money

There was something else he liked about it too. It did not feel like he was just asking people for money.

"Traditional fundraising is just asking people to donate $400, versus asking people to buy eight squares for the same price, but there is a chance for them to win," DJ says. "They feel like they are getting something out of it in the process rather than just giving money away."

That distinction mattered to him. DJ's Lucky Squares campaign ultimately contributed $4,000 to his $14,200 total and helped him get over the target he had once worried he might miss. He finished fourth overall in the Stars competition, but the numbers only tell part of the story.

The program gave DJ a way to give back to an organisation that had once supported his own family at one of its hardest moments. The Lucky Squares fundraiser, in turn, gave people far beyond Port Macquarie a simple way to be part of that giving-back journey.

What happened next

Lauren Fraser was impressed by the Lucky Squares format and by how little operational burden it placed on organisers. After seeing DJ's campaign, she told him, "We're going to use this from now on!"

Several other Stars participants have since launched their own Lucky Squares campaigns.

That response captures much of what the platform was built for: a fundraiser that can sit alongside larger events, auctions and community campaigns without requiring another major lift from the people already doing the work.

DJ also appreciated the human support behind the platform. "When I launched, things took off a little slowly, and Jamie called me to see if there was anything she could do to help." He said that grassroots contact stood out.

"It just went really well, and I had no issues."

For Lucky Squares founder Jamie Stott, DJ's campaign captures something important about the model. The real value is not simply the grid. It is what the grid makes possible.

In DJ's case, 100 squares became $4,000 for Cancer Council, helped him reach a $14,200 personal fundraising total and gave friends and family across the country a way to support a cause that meant something deeply personal.

Behind every cancer fundraiser is someone with their own reason for showing up. DJ's story is one of grief, family, community and gratitude, and of finding a practical way to give something back.

Every square has a purpose. DJ's were for an organisation that sat with his father when he could not.

If you are fundraising for a charity or community cause, you can set up a grid and see how it looks without paying anything, read how a campaign runs from launch to draw, or start with the organiser checklist if you are weighing it up. If you run several fundraisers a year rather than one, the organisation plan is worth a look, and there are more organiser stories on the blog.