Matt Thistlethwaite (Kingsford Smith, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On Sunday I was again very proud to be part of the Running for Premature Babies team and complete the Sydney half marathon. After losing their firstborn triplets in 2007, Sophie Smith and her late husband Ash, of Coogee, established the group to raise money for the Royal Hospital for Women's Newborn Intensive Care Unit in Randwick and medical research and equipment. Through their leadership and hard work, Sophie has inspired over 2,000 people to get fit, challenge themselves and help fund a wonderful cause, which to date has raised in excess of $2.3 million for equipment and saved hundreds of babies' lives.

This year the Running for Premature Babies squad was the largest team in the event, with 520 runners—all with the goal of raising $240,000 to cover part of the cost of a new monitoring system for babies in the highest level of intensive care at the hospital. I am pleased to report that the team surpassed that amount, raising $320,000. For the whole event, sponsorship and fundraising totalled $800,000, and this group raising more than a third of those funds is a phenomenal effort. Congratulations to all of the members of the Running for Premature Babies team, and I thank them for supporting this wonderful group. Sophie Smith, you are a legend.