WHARF4WARD 2025
Date: 20 March 2025
RECORD-BREAKING $1.6 MILLION RAISED AT SONY FOUNDATION’S 15th WHARF4WARD
15 YEARS OF IMPACT: MEDIA, CELEBRITIES & BUSINESS LEADERS UNITE AT SONY FOUNDATION’S WHARF4WARD 2025
Sony Foundation, the charitable arm of the Sony Group of Companies, again, united Australia’s biggest names in media, entertainment, and business at Wharf4Ward 2025, to raise $1.6 million for Australians youth with cancer.
This year marked a major milestone—15 years of Sony Foundation’s youth cancer initiative ‘You Can’, transforming cancer care for young people nationwide. Known as Sydney’s longest lunch, Wharf4Ward for the 15th time, took over Woolloomooloo Wharf’s premier restaurants. Guests were treated to world-class performances from Sony Music Group artists Grentperez, Human Nature, and Tierney Brothers, along with an exclusive performance from the cast of ‘MJ the Musical’, a Michael Cassell Group performance. 
Wharf4Ward 2025 was hosted by some of Australia’s most recognisable media personalities, including Nine’s Karl Stefanovic, Peter Overton, Richard Wilkins, Seven’s Matt Shirvington, Natalie Barr, NOVA’s Michael ‘Wippa’ Wipfli, Ryan ‘Fitzy’ Fitzgerald, Stuart Gregor, Sky News’ Jaynie Seal, Sony Foundation Ambassador Sally Obermeder with international guests including: Daisy Fuentes, Richard Marx, Ronan Keating, and Australian attending celebrity personalities: Alison Langdon (Nine); Belinda Russell (Nine); Cameron Merchant; Caroline Gaultier (Foxtel); Cast of Australian Idol (Seven); Eloni Vunakece; Jayne Azzopardi (Nine); Jono Castano; Josh Carroll; Jules Robinson; Krissy Marsh (Foxtel); Melissa Hoyer; Ortenzia Borre (Sky News); Peter Stefanovic (Sky News); Ricki-Lee Coulter (NOVA); Rodger Corser (Nine); Sarah Abo (Nine); Skye Leckie; Syliva Jeffreys (Nine); The Hon. Brad Hazzard; Tim Blackwell (NOVA); Tim Davies (Nine); Tuba Dagli; Victoria Montano (Foxtel) and more.
Launched at Wharf4Ward 2010, ‘You Can’ has been improving youth cancer care, ensuring adolescents and young adults diagnosed with cancer in Australia receive age-appropriate, specialised youth cancer care, no matter where they live. Over the last 15 years, Sony Foundation has donated nearly $18 million to fund the build of five You Can youth cancer centres across Australia, accommodation for regional youth cancer patients, and specialist youth-focused cancer research.
Despite significant progress in Australian youth cancer care, Minister Butler noted in December 2024 that 25% of youth cancer patients requiring inpatient care still fall through the cracks. Addressing this, he emphasised the national priority of ensuring all youth cancer patients receive high-quality, culturally safe, and integrated care, regardless of where they live —a sentiment reinforced in the Australian Cancer Plan. One in three youth cancer patients comes from regional areas, and they are 1.3 times more likely to die from cancer than their city counterparts.
Sony Foundation’s You Can initiative is tackling this gap by providing free accommodation for regional youth cancer patients and their families, through the ‘You Can Stay’ program, easing the financial and emotional strain of accessing specialised, age-appropriate treatment in the city.
The funds raised at Wharf4Ward 2025 will go towards Sony Foundation’s You Can Stay program, providing free and uncapped accommodation, for 15-29-year-old regional youth cancer patients, and their families, who have to travel to the city to access lifesaving treatment. Since launching in 2020, Sony Foundation has provided over 32,000 nights of accommodation for regional youth cancer patients and their families nationally.
Sophie Ryan-McPhee, CEO, Sony Foundation says despite the significant progress that has been made in cancer treatment for adolescents and young adults, more must be done.
“Our young people are falling through the cracks. Regional youth cancer patients often have to relocate to the city for months at a time to access lifesaving cancer treatment. The financial, emotional, and mental burden is overwhelming.
“You Can Stay ensures they have a home away from home, giving them stability in a time of great uncertainty. It’s an absolute lifeline for young patients and their families, and thanks to the collective generosity of our corporate and media partners, we can continue to bridge the gap in youth cancer care” said Ms Ryan-McPhee.
21-year-old Grace Kennedy from Shellharbour, was studying event management, and enjoying life as a young adult when she received a shock diagnosis of a rare paediatric brain cancer requiring her to relocate to Sydney for over six months of invasive treatment. Grace and her family have been provided 200+ nights of free accommodation to date, at no cost, thanks to Sony Foundation’s You Can Stay program.
“Luckily someone at Wollongong Hospital knew of a doctor in Sydney that had treated children with this rare cancer. I felt the most secure having all my treatment in Sydney, where there was a team that understood my type of cancer. But this meant having to travel more than four hours each day for radiotherapy and being alone in a hospital bed far away from home. My family was committed to getting me the best treatment, but the price of petrol alone would be far beyond what we could afford. This is when we were told about Sony Foundation’s You Can Stay program. We couldn’t believe it. A bright light had appeared through all the darkness ahead.
“The support of You Can Stay is why I stand before you today. It created a safe and secure environment away from the hospital. It meant my Mum was able to be with me each day. Through every needle, infection, and unknown, I had my family and friends close,” said Ms Kennedy.
Wharf4Ward is a powerful demonstration of collective corporate philanthropy in action. More than 100 leading media and corporate companies, including Nine, Seven, NOVA, ARN, Paramount, News Corp, JCDecaux, oOh!media, QMS, Sky News, Val Morgan, Amazon, SBS, and WIN TV, will put aside competition to unite for a common cause.
“This event is a testament to what can be achieved when industries and Government come together to collaboratively create a solution. With 15 years behind us, our ambition is only growing, and we are committed to making an even greater impact in the years ahead - this is just the beginning,” said Ms Ryan-McPhee.
