One of Western Australia’s most significant charity events will return bigger than ever this October, with Kai’s Big GOLD Ball expected to attract around 1,000 guests in support of the Kids Cancer Support Group.
Returning to Crown Towers Perth for the first time since 2023, this year’s ball has almost doubled in size, with tickets selling out within just one week.
The event will feature a five-star three-course dinner, a six-hour drinks package, live entertainment, auctions and raffles, including the opportunity to win an all-new Geely EX5 Complete. The premium all-electric SUV combines performance, advanced technology and everyday comfort, with all proceeds from the raffle supporting the Kids Cancer Support Group.
However, behind the gold and glamour is a serious purpose, raising funds to ensure WA children and families do not have to face childhood cancer alone.
Kids Cancer Support Group is a Perth-based not-for-profit that has supported children diagnosed with cancer and blood disorders at Perth Children’s Hospital since 1983.
Run by skilled parents and caregivers with firsthand experience of childhood cancer, the organisation provides tailored practical, emotional and peer support from diagnosis, throughout treatment and beyond.
Funds raised through the ball will support services including qualified peer support, play therapy, supported playgroups, mental health assistance, bereavement care and the Helping Hands program, which provides families with professional home cleaning, gardening, essential vehicle maintenance and fuel and supermarket vouchers.
The funding will also support the development of the new WA Childhood Cancer Community House, designed to create a central place where families can access connection, practical assistance, mental health support, play therapy and service navigation.
For Kids Cancer Support Group president Richard Nell and his wife, the event carries deep personal meaning.
The ball is named in memory of their son Kai, who passed from cancer three weeks before his fourth birthday after spending almost half his life in isolation.
“Kai is where this journey began for our family, and of course the ball will always carry his spirit and his memory,” Mr Nell said.
“But we really believe that the most meaningful way we can honour him is to use the platform his story has given us to create space for the stories of other children too.”
During Kai’s treatment, the family spent months inside a small isolation room because his immune system was severely compromised.
Despite the hardship of treatment, Kai remained a funny, cheeky and energetic little boy who loved music and dancing.
He would put on his light-up shoes, play Can’t Stop the Feeling through his speaker and dance on his hospital bed.
“Kai knew how to dance in the rain,” Mr Nell said.
That spirit of hope will remain at the centre of the ball, with each of the event’s 90 tables dedicated to a WA child affected by childhood cancer or a blood disorder.
Their stories will be shared throughout the evening, providing guests with an insight into the realities of childhood cancer and the impact it has on the whole family.
“There will be plenty of gold and glamour, but this has never been just another gala dinner,” Mr Nell said.
“It is a night to celebrate our children, stand alongside families still navigating treatment and its impacts, and remember the children who are no longer with us.”
More than 100 children are diagnosed with cancer in Western Australia each year.
For those families, hospital appointments, blood tests, scans and treatment can quickly become part of everyday life, while employment, household responsibilities and financial pressures continue.
The Kids Cancer Support Group aims to ease some of those pressures by helping families with both immediate practical needs and their longer-term emotional and mental wellbeing.
A professional cleaner can help prepare a safe home for an immunocompromised child returning from hospital. Essential car maintenance can ensure parents are able to transport their child to treatment. Fuel and supermarket vouchers can provide relief when families are facing reduced income and rising costs.
The organisation’s support also continues when a child passes, with bereavement programs providing parents and siblings with peer connection, play therapy, retreats and opportunities to spend time with others who understand their loss.
Mr Nell said every ticket purchased, auction bid and donation would help build a network of support around families during one of the most difficult periods of their lives.
“The impact isn’t simply in how many services we can provide,” he said.
“It’s in what those services give back to a family time, breathing space, connection, dignity and the ability to focus more of their energy where they want it to be on their child.”
The strong support from the WA business community has been instrumental in allowing the ball to grow.
Perth City Auto Group dealer principal John Nossiter said his motivation for supporting the charity was grounded in his own experience as a father of three.
“God forbid one of my own children would get cancer, it is comforting to know there is a group like this helping to support children and families in a time of need,” Mr Nossiter said.
For the families supported by KCSG, the sight of more than 1,000 people gathered in one room represents more than a fundraising achievement.
It sends a message that their children are seen, their experiences matter and the wider community is prepared to stand beside them.
“When your child is diagnosed with cancer, your world can become very small, very quickly,” Mr Nell said.
“When around 1,000 people walk into that ballroom, they are doing much more than attending an event or helping us raise money.
“They are saying to our families: we see you, your child matters and you are not doing this alone.”
While the event will always carry Kai’s name and memory, its purpose extends to every child and family who will face a childhood cancer diagnosis in the future.
“It is so much bigger than one story. It’s about every child.”
Kai’s Big GOLD Ball will be held at Crown Towers Perth on October 10.
There are still a few tickets remaining purchase yours here https://events.humanitix.com/kids-cancer-support-group-kais-big-gold-ball
If you would like to go into the draw to win a car https://www.raffletix.com.au/kaisbiggoldball2026
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