Community
29 May, 2026
Honouring a friend
A BUSINESS owner took an opportunity to host an information evening in honour of her late friend last Friday.
Excuse Me Katie’s owner Kate Kent held a ‘Shine for Shoni’ event last week to pay tribute of her friend of 25 years, Shoni Lucas, who died in May last year from a stroke.
She donated her organs to five people, which inspired Ms Kent to raise awareness for organ donation.
Organ donation involves surgically removing the organs or tissue of a donor into a recipient who is often very ill, which can save lives.
“This year, on the first anniversary of her death, I wanted to honour the amazing person she was – she was one of a kind, joyous, beautiful and so kind-hearted,” Ms Kent said.
“I wanted to put something on to honour her and to raise awareness about organ donation because it’s still a little bit misunderstood.
“I’m hoping the night got people talking about making sure they are registered to be an organ donor.
“We raised just under $3000, but DonateLife doesn’t take financial donations – they’re all about education and getting people to donate.
“We are going to donate to the Camperdown Hospital Auxiliary to get a piece of artwork or something in Shoni’s honour.”
Ms Kent said she was humbled by the community response, including their generosity towards the hospital.
“Shoni and I both had our four babies up there, and we’ve always talked about how amazing the healthcare is for a rural town,” she said.
“I think she would be absolutely ecstatic that we raised that amount, and that it’s going up there, because she did all her healthcare in town and she was a really big supporter of it.
“Her mum Robyn is really excited the money’s staying in town.
“It really shook the community – we have a really strong community because she was so well-loved.
“It’s been 12 months of learning how to deal with such an enormous loss and the grief process – we’ll never forget it or get over the loss but we’re trying to move forward.”
Residents seeking more information on organ donation, including how to register, can visit donatelife.gov.au.
Read More: Camperdown