Six years after her tragic passing, Amy Jayne 'Dolly' Everett will be remembered today in the nationally recognised Do it for Dolly Day.
Subscribe now for unlimited access to all our agricultural news
across the nation
or signup to continue reading
The day is dedicated to uniting a community with kindness, raising awareness about bullying and providing access to services that help prevent bullying and support those affected.
It is also a sombre reminder of one rural family's tragedy - the loss of Tick and Kate Everett's 14-year-old daughter, Dolly, who tragically took her life in January 2018 after extensive bullying.
"It's heart wrenching," Mrs Everett said.
"I think the fact we've gone through this awful tragedy, people can really go 'oh my god, that could have been us' because...we're an average rural working family and I think people can connect with that story.
"The most eye-opening thing to come out of this was we had thousands and thousands of messages - and still to this day - about people sharing their story and wishing they had someone to look up to or be brave enough to share. It just keeps going. It just doesn't stop."
In the far corner of the McKenzie Pavilion, a burst of blue erupts against a backdrop of cattle and Beef 2024 frivolity, a beacon of hope in poignant memory of Amy Jayne 'Dolly' Everett.
On May 7, a Dolly's Dream luncheon, hosted by Melissa Doyle, was held at the Great Western Hotel in Rockhampton, with blue Prosecco in honour of Dolly and nearly $30,000 raised for the charity.
Tearing up with gratitude, Mrs Everett said the charity had been supported by numerous other Beef 2024 operators, including FarmBot - which is donating $50 from every blue device sold during the week to the charity.
"It's been absolutely amazing. (One of our) biggest supporters this week is AACo. They've been amazing and have continued to fundraise all week for us...and Nutrien have been especially accommodating," she said.
"This truly goes to show how united Australia is against (bullying). We couldn't do it without them, and of course our dream team who have been here since Sunday."
The Dolly's Dream stall has more than beautiful, blue merchandise available for visitors - it has a wealth of hope, a thorough catalogue of free services and a strength in community with one key message at its core; stop bullying and spread kindness.
"(Do it for Dolly Day) is about hope for us, because we don't want anyone else to end up like that," Mrs Everett said.
"Those services enable people to talk to professional counsellors, that's why we do it."
In honour of Dolly's favourite colour, her parents are asking their community to don their favourite shade of blue to help raise awareness about impacts of bullying.
The co-founders of Dolly's Dream turned their heartbreak into a mission - determined to help prevent others from suffering the same tragedy they endured.
A recent report from the eSafety Commissioner revealed that the issue of cyber bullying had not dissipated over the years, but had evolved along with the technology in which it inhabited.
The report showed a 40 per cent increase in cyber bullying reports from 2022 to 2023, with two-thirds of the reports concerning children aged between 12 and 15.
While technology is here to stay and is a vital asset for rural families to stay connected, Dolly's Dream supports families by ensuring their children are accessing online websites and platforms in a safe manner.
Dolly's Dream is providing crucial services including their free 24-hour support line, anti-bullying and online safety workshops in schools, mental health first aid training in communities and more recently (in partnership with Telethon Kids Institute) the free Beacon cyber safety app.
"If you've got any questions about how you can navigate your young person's online ways you go on there. There are over 700 articles and videos. You might say 'is Fortnite okay for my child to play'? You put that in and there will be dozens of articles that give parents and carers advice on that," Head of Dolly's Dream Sally Sweeney said.
"You might say 'when is the best time for my child to get a mobile?' 'Is Snapchat okay?' You don't have to trawl the internet to find those answers, you'll have them in your hand no matter where you are in Australia. It provides peace of mind."
Mrs Everett said the app also provides updates on cyber issues that parents should be aware of.
"It's basically doing the hard work for you and enabling you to have a good, safe conversation with your children," she said.
"We've got children going off to boarding school and parents want that security to be able to call their kids. They also want them to be safe online.
"We're getting so many reports this year from boarding school parents saying this is the most amazing app."
Along with the Parent Hub, a 24-hour support line which now offers a web-chat option, there are over 1070 activities across the country raising funds for Dolly's Dream anti-bullying programs, cyber safety and anti-bullying workshops.
