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Graduate stages flood relief fundraiser
When Sydney public relations whiz Sara Bray decided to organise a gala fundraiser for Queensland flood relief, the University of the Sunshine Coast graduate couldn’t believe the support.
The cream of the fashion set rallied to help, with celebrity designers Alex Perry and Peter Morrissey joining Australia’s Next Top Model judge Charlotte Dawson and hundreds of A-listers at the event at the Trademark Hotel in Kings Cross on 25 January.
“We raised just over $60,000 – it was a huge success,” said Sara, who has used a USC degree in Communication to swap modelling for a high-profile PR career.
“This was my first charity event and I’m so proud. When fashion stylist Donny Galella tweeted that we should do something for the flood relief effort, I jumped on board. I’m from Queensland and I thought we could get Sydney to dig deep.
“We were inundated with expensive, exclusive fashion, beauty and health prizes plus donations for the venue, catering and alcohol. We did it all in a week and a half and on the night we sold out of raffle tickets in the first hour.”
Sara, 27, was listed in FHM’s ‘100 sexiest women’ in 2004 and has appeared in Sydney gossip pages after her romances with surfer Taj Burrow and NRL player Braith Anasta.
Since graduating from USC in 2005, her career has flourished in various PR agencies and she now runs her own business, Sara Bray PR & Events, targeting the youth, fashion, sport and lifestyle sectors.
“My career highlight was being named Young PR of the Year in 2007,” she said.
“It was an honour because the award was voted by a panel of renowned Sydney media.”
Sara, who had moved from Airlie Beach to the Sunshine Coast after gaining a scholarship to study at USC, said her Communication degree was invaluable for her career success.
“It gives you a better understanding of the theoretical side of the business and the internship helped me get my foot in the door with PR agencies,” she said.
“Now, as an employer, I look favourably on graduates.”
— Julie Gatehouse