Sam Pidgeon has been participating in Frocktober since 2014. Here are her top Frocktober tips!
It's Spring and there's a hint of something in the air – it's almost time for another Frocktober! One of the reasons that I keep on participating in Frocktober each year is that it feels good to do good. We've all been touched in some way by cancer and as awareness grows about ovarian cancer and the quest for an early detection test, so does enthusiasm and drive to raise funds for the cause.
Each year, I take on the 31 day frock challenge and post a daily frock photo on line – which keeps the campaign and my fundraising link top of mind with my friends and family and gives me a chance to get out of a wardrobe rut and wear 31 different dresses (or more) over the course of the month. One of my favourite things about Frocktober is that feeling of gratitude I get when I receive a notification that someone else has made a donation! And hearing people tell their stories about why the quest for an early detection test means so much to them.
People are so generous – one of my mottos is: please give what you can – no amount too small, no amount too big "
As an aside, something I didn't expect was how good posting a full length photo of myself each day would be for my body confidence – in Frocktober – we're all models! And my kids and friends understand the importance of being asked to take the daily Frocktober photo – it's all about the angles, darlings and the backdrop and the filters and the hashtags! There have been a couple of days over the years where the day almost got away from me without posting a photo and luckily friends have messaged me to say, 'oi – where's todays frock?'.
I also hold a Frocktober event (this year's event is simply called 'Frock Yeah!') at home for friends and family to thank them for their donations and to do more awareness raising while in good company on a usually sunny Brisbane spring afternoon. Over the years it has become bigger and bigger and it's lovely to have friends say to me that they've already picked out their frock – or other special outfit – for the event and to be looking forward to it each year. We've now added a clothes swap/grab with donations being made for each item and the raffle is becoming legendary thanks to my friend Mandy who curates a great set of donated prizes and manages to sell huge amounts of tickets to people who've already made 
their own personal donation to OCRF – she refers to it as the Raffle of the Year.
I like to hold the event at the end of the month when people already know how much has been raised and how close we are to the target – it's pretty good motivation to try and jump to the next hundred or thousand dollar mark. I pick the date well in advance and set up a Facebook event page to make sure people save the date – my cousin Nicole was one of the first to accept the invite and wrote on the page, 'Event of the Season' – I certainly like to think of it that way!
One day, there'll be an early detection test for ovarian cancer and I'll know that my fundraising has been a part of achieving that."
I started out in the first year I participated with a goal to raise $500 and have a bit of fun for a great cause. Over the years, with the help of so many generous friends and family, my Frocktober campaign has raised thousands of dollars and being an OCRF frocker has become a positive and gratifying part of my life. Last year, a friend with ovarian cancer sent me a long message telling me that knowing there were so many people donating to the OCRF gave her hope and sense of solidarity. That's what it's all about.
I can't think of a much better way to spend a month!
Frock on,
Sam
Written for the OCRF by Sam Pidgeon, visit her fundraising page here!