Brighton Beach in Adelaide was inundated with a sea of blonde wigs, sunglasses and white swimwear for a very good reason.
The annual Marilyn Jetty Swim turned 10 over the weekend and this anniversary pushed more people than ever to come down to Brighton Beach dressed as the famous movie star.
Last year just over 300 impersonators attended and this year it has almost doubled with a whopping 513 Monroe’s walking along the beach.
The event has raised over $1 million for the Cancer Council to date with more than $220,000 this year alone.
The founder, Sara Tinney, started the event after she lost her mother to cancer in 2007. She believes that dressing up as the iconic Marilyn Monroe is a positive and fun way to raise money for cancer research.
In an interview with the ABC she reflected on the event stating, “Every year when I see new Marilyns come, and they have their stories and I can see where they are at, they’re at day one of losing somebody they love,” Ms Tinney said. “I go back there, and I know exactly how they’re feeling.
“And I love that there’s something that we can all do together, even if it’s kind of wild and not what you expect … because grief isn’t orderly, grief isn’t predictable. Grief’s a little bit weird as well.”
The event that happened over the weekend attracted people from all around Australia, all participating in some lighthearted fun for a wholesome cause.
