When the Cancer Council kicked off Australia's Biggest Morning Tea at Sydney Tower Eye in May one of its national ambassadors was Shellharbour's famous Masterchef contestant Gina Ottaway.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
A year after appearing on the show Nonna G still can't walk down a street without being recognised and loves supporting the Cancer Council. She has been an active supporter for many years and is motivated by the loss of a nephew to cancer at 28.
"Not one of us in this world has not been touched in some way or form by cancer. And I am no different," she said.
"I lost my nephew 12 years ago to cancer. He was the most beautiful young man you could ever meet. He was clean living and never drank or smoked. He was healthy and went to the gym and the whole works and he got liver cancer".
Nonna G did not hesitate when she was asked to be an ambassador for the Cancer Council. And is encouraging other people in the Illawarra to consider organising a Biggest Morning Tea event locally during June.
She was joined at the national launch in Sydney by Mr and Mrs Cheese from MKR 2014 as well as The Healthy Chef Teresa Cutter.
Cancer Council's director of fundraising Lyndsey Rice said it was wonderful to such support at the launch of the 26th Australia's Biggest Morning Tea.
Ms Rice said having people with a national following such as Nonna G helped raise awareness for the Cancer Council's biggest fundraiser.
Nonna G said she has attended many Biggest Morning Teas in the Illawarra over the years and several recently for the Cancer Council in Sydney where she is in increasing demand.
Her next appearance is at an Urban Tucker Tour De Cuisine degustation event at Terrey Hills with fellow Masterchefs Hrishi Desai and Jimmy Wong.
"The only other time I have made my famous gnocchelloni since Mastechef 2018 was at Nardi's," she said.
Since Masterchef and a public cooking demonstration at Stockland Shellharbour and Biggest Morning Tea fundraisers at venues such as Nardis she has been doing cooking classes at the WEA.
"I have never stopped cooking," she said.
"I love it".
Nonna G said along with being an ambassador for the Cancer Council and going to some of the big morning teas she has planned she will attend many smaller local events in the Illawarra throughout the year.
And is happy for organisers to contact her for help.
"If there is anything I can do I will actually change my schedule to help out," she said.
"This is me off my own bat wanting to continue doing it throughout the year because it is such a great cause
"The Cancer Council has so many things that are available to people in the Illawarra. That includes transport up to appointments and treatments, accommodation, financial help, psychologists, meetings and so much more.
"It has been a really big eye opener and very great eye opener for me. And it is wonderful to endorse".
Nonna G said food can bring people together and in the case of Australia's Biggest Morning Tea do so much good.
She said she has been watching Masterchef this year and it was great to see some Nonnas brought in recently for an Italian food episode.
"But I am still the Masterchef Nonna," she said with a laugh.
Nonna G is loving life, cooking as much as she can and giving back whenever she can.
"Even though I have cooked since I was such a young age to me it is not a chore. That is how I relax. I am so lucky to be given this opportunity to give cooking demonstrations and make public appearances and raise money to help others doing what I love. It has given me so much".
Nonna G said food had given her the opportunity to meet so many people.
"I am just me," she said.
"I am no one really special. But when I was on the show I was in people's homes five nights a week and they feel like they know you and call you by your first name".
That is why Nonna G will never grow tired of being stopped on the street or being asked to help raise funds for a great cause because of her love of food that she gets to share with the world.
Read more: