Hobart parishioners raise 300k for good cause

By Josh Low

Mario and Romilda Amorosa have a heart for charity. The retired couple who are parishioners at St Mary’s Cathedral in Hobart recently reached the milestone of having raised a staggering $300,000 for Cancer Council Tasmania.

Having lost loved ones to cancer, they have long had a passion for raising money to help fight the deadly disease.

Mario credits his wife Romilda for being the ‘mastermind’ behind their charitable work, with her desire for helping others driving them on.

“We work 365 days a year now for 20 years – there’s always something on.

“Back home (in Italy) I was poor, I didn’t have anything. Here in Australia, we’re better off and I like to give back, to help underprivileged people, to give back from whatever we have to the community,” he said.

“It’s as simple as that. We can’t take anything with us anyway when we die.”

“Thanks be to God that we are still here and able to do what we do,” Mario said.

The couple raised the impressive amount over the course of 20 years, and it is the highest amount ever raised by individual fundraisers.

They achieved this by hosting their famous Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea each year in the rumpus room of their home, as well as through fundraising in supermarkets and shopping centres.

As St Paul states in his letter to the Corinthians, ‘God loves a cheerful giver’, and the couple certainly have found much joy being involved in a range of charitable works.

From helping the underprivileged, caring for the sick in their homes, and fundraising for causes close to their hearts, the couple are well known members of the community for the work they do.

Though they may not be operating at the same pace or level as they once did, their charitable work continues.