Dubbo Regional Council: 17-year-old Molly Croft has been awarded Dubbo’s Citizen of the Year

A two-time cancer survivor, who is only 17, has been awarded Citizen of the Year. Here’s her story as she reveals what she is most proud of.

Molly Croft presenting at the Stand Tall event in front of 10,000 people and 90,000 on livestream. Photo: Supplied

At just 17 years old, Molly Croft has been awarded Dubbo’s Citizen of the Year for her ongoing advocacy for cancer awareness and raised a more than half a million dollars selling tie dye shirts.

Ms Croft has survived two battles of osteoblastic osteosarcoma, a form of bone cancer, since her 12th birthday and has committed to making a positive impact in the community beyond her own struggles.
Since 2019, the Tie Dye Project, co-founded by Ms Croft and Amy Parmenter, has raised just shy of $800,000 to spread awareness about sarcoma, which is the leading form of cancer-related deaths, alongside brain cancer, in 0-24-year-olds.

Ms Croft told The Dubbo News she was extremely honoured to have received the award.

“It gives me another platform to continue to share my story and create awareness around sarcoma because there’s way too much of it, especially in our little community,” she said.

“I’ve been lucky enough to have been involved in many organisations and charities that help kids like me, but I guess what I’m most proud of is that I’m a two-time osteosarcoma bone cancer survivor.”

Molly has raised nearly $800,000 for the Tie Dye Project. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

Ms Croft uses her voice as a platform to speak at programs, such as Stand Tall, to share her story with more than 100,000 kids.

“If I could help at least one kid learn more about sarcoma so that next time their leg is a bit sorer than usual they can go and check it out than that’s enough and means more to me than anything else,” she said.

Molly Croft when she was getting treatment for cancer. Photo: Supplied.

Molly Croft is a two-time cancer survivor. Photo: Supplied.

“It gets a bit tricky when I’ve had to grow up so fast and to be able to go into that different kind of world.

“I’m using what happened to me to create a positive difference and it makes it a little bit easier knowing that I am so lucky – statistics say I shouldn’t be here right now.”

On February 15, Ms Croft will be launching K’Day with the Kids Cancer Project to raise awareness of childhood cancer.

She will also be starting Year 12 at St Johns College in Dubbo later this year.

Molly Croft receiving her Dubbo Citizen of the Year award. Photo: Supplied.

DUBBO AUSTRALIA DAY AWARDS

Citizen of the Year – Molly Croft

Senior Citizen of the Year – Dennis Crimmins

Young Citizen of the Year – Mia Richardson

Sportsperson of the Year – Danial Barber

Young Sportsperson of the Year – Ella Penman

Services to Sport Award – Mel Pocknall

Cultural Person of the Year – Erifili Davis