When Kirsty Boag signed up for Stars of the Hunter in support of Cancer Council NSW, she set out with a goal of raising $10,000… never anticipating that she’d actually reach it. 

Now, she has well and truly passed that target, while sparking heartfelt conversations across the region.

What she didn’t expect was just how deeply the journey would connect her to the Newcastle and Hunter community. 

“I honestly thought I would struggle to get to $5,000, so I never expected to reach $10,000,” Kirsty admitted. 

“I was absolutely blown away.  

“People are just incredibly generous.”

When the milestone finally ticked over, the moment was emotional. 

“I sat on my bed and cried,” the Hunter & Coastal Lifestyle Magazine and Newcastle Weekly account manager said. 

“Relief flooded me.

“I felt so thankful and completely overwhelmed knowing how many people had supported me.”

However, this achievement did not come without hard work. 

Kirsty had the challenge of coming up with initiatives to help drive the donations. 

One of her most creative initiatives was The Blank Canvas Project – a travelling artwork where people could purchase and place a heart in honour of someone impacted by cancer. 

What she imagined would simply be a visual fundraising piece quickly became something much deeper. 

“People didn’t just stick a heart on and walk away like I had expected them to,” Kirsty said. 

“They told me who it was for and explained why. 

“People would group them, create patterns, or pair them together.

“My daughter even started placing hearts in pairs if someone only brought one. 

“Without planning it, the canvas became this beautiful symbol of connection.

“I never imagined that it would turn into something so special.” 

The canvas travelled across shopping centres, local businesses, Pilates studios and even football games, quietly raising funds while sparking meaningful conversations.

Having only recently moved back from overseas, Kirsty knew she didn’t have a large local network to lean on, so she approached her fundraising strategically. 

“I set a goal to raise $2,000 every month,” she said.

“I knew if I did that, I’d get there. 

“So, I had to be really smart about the events I created.”

That thinking led to the now widely talked about Pilates in the Vines event at Bonvilla Estate, which raised $1,800 in a single morning thanks to support from Sol Pilates and Hunter & Coastal Lifestyle Magazine. 

“At the time, nothing like that had been done in the Hunter,” Kirsty said. 

“Now, it’s popping up everywhere.

“It was a good opportunity to get people out in the fresh air and bring everyone together.

“We had a lot of fun.”

For Kirsty, it’s the quiet and unexpected moments along this journey that has stayed with her most. 

While buying tap shoes for her dance performance, a shop owner asked what they were for.

After hearing about the fundraiser, she insisted on paying the difference, sharing that her 28-year-old daughter had passed away from colon cancer the year before. 

“I walked out thinking – this is exactly why I’m doing this,” Kirsty said. 

“Everyone has a story and you really don’t realise it until you have these conversations.”

The campaign wraps up on 30 May, with a high tea fundraiser at voco Kirkton Park Hunter Valley set to add even more to the tally. 

“I’ve hit my goal and now I just want to soak it all in,” Kirsty said. 

Of course, fundraising is only part of the Stars of the Hunter experience. 

Participants must also perform a dance routine which has pushed Kirsty well outside her comfort. 

“I’ve discovered I’m a really bad dancer,” she admitted. 

“Tap dancing is hard and I’ve only learned about 40 seconds of the routine.

“There’s been tears and a lot of practice. 

“Despite the challenge, I wouldn’t change a thing. 

“It’s like a full-time job on top of a full-time job, but I would do it over and over again.

“I truly believe it’s one of the best things I’ve ever done.” 

And for those attending the final performance, Kirsty hints there may be a little surprise at the end of her routine. 

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