Olivia Newton-John raises big bucks for cancer research

Olivia Newton-John and her husband John Easterling have walked together in the annual Olivia Newton-John Wellness Walk and Research Run, raising money for the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness and Research Centre in Melbourne.

Olivia was also seen posing with one of the walking teams that was participating in the event.

Hundreds of people took part in the Wellness Walk and Research Run on Sunday, with the Grease star cheering on runners and walkers after welcoming them to the La Trobe University campus for the fundraiser.

The fundraiser was a huge success, with one generous donor handing the Centre an oversized cheque for a quarter of a million dollars.

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten was at the event, pledging to allocate $20 million to the research centre should Labor win the next federal election.

“Most Australians unfortunately know someone who’s passed away from cancer,” Mr Shorten told reporters at the Olivia Newton-John Wellness Walk and Research Run.

“[About] 17,500 Australians are diagnosed with breast cancer each year.

“That is why Labor is really pleased to be able to announce that we would allocate $20 million to the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Centre, so that they can do work into researching and better testing, for late stage recurrence breast cancer and brain cancer research.”

In May, Olivia revealed that what she'd previously thought was a simple pain in her back, was actually breast cancer that had metastasised to the sacrum, a bone near the base of the spine.

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