Jack & Co and Lane Cove Swim Club Host Weekend Fundraiser to Help Sam Pratt Get Home

The Community is invited this weekend to lend some support for one of it’s own! On Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 July, Jack & Co Northwood and Lane Cove Swim Club are teaming up for a two-day fundraiser for local para swimmer Sam Pratt. Every sausage sold, along with $1 from every coffee and every fuel sale, will help get Sam back into her own home.

The weekend has come together thanks to Josh Baker, President of Lane Cove Swim Club, who has been rallying support behind Sam and reached out to In the Cove to help get the word out. In the Cove will be down at Northwood across both days lending a hand on the BBQ, and we’d love to see plenty of familiar faces come through for a snag and a chat.

What’s Happening at Jack & Co This Weekend

There are a few ways to chip in across the two days, and it all runs out of the Jack & Co stores.

Sausage sizzle. A snag will set you back $3 at the Jack & Co Northwood store, running from 10am to 1pm on both Saturday and Sunday. Every dollar raised on the BBQ goes straight to Sam.

Coffee and fuel donations. Across the full weekend, $1 from every coffee sold and $1 from every fuel sale will be donated to Sam, at both the Lane Cove and Northwood stores, up to a total of $5,000. You don’t need to do anything extra. Simply buy your usual coffee or fill up the car and a dollar will be donated towards getting Sam home.

Hamper draw. Spend $15 or more across the weekend and you’ll go into the draw to win a $200 Jack & Co hamper from each of the local Jack & Co locations.

The Community Has Already Rallied

The support around Sam over the past few weeks has been, in the words of her mum Geraldine, phenomenal.

Carly from Brewers Swimming and her husband Vincent from Stokes Construction have stepped in to remove Sam’s existing bathroom this week at no cost, clearing the way for a new accessible wet room. A Greenwich local and friend who happens to be an architect has offered to finalise the plans, and Tilecraft have been in touch about possibly helping with the tiles.

There has also been movement on the bigger jobs. A lift is being installed during the week beginning 20 July, with the supplier extending the family a discount, and a builder is preparing the downstairs foundations for the lift, charging only for the cost of materials.

Community organisations have also stepped up.

You may remember In the Cove’s article on Sam Pratt, the local para swimmer who has fought back from more than most of us will face in a lifetime but remains unable to leave Royal North Shore Hospital because her Greenwich home is not wheelchair accessible. The modifications she needs cost more than she has and more than the NDIS can provide quickly enough.

Lane Cove Rotary President Jenny May announced at a recent Giving Night that Rotary had applied for a $1,000 Compassionate Grant through the Rotary Australia Benevolent Society (RABS). The RABS Compassionate Grants program is made possible through a $1 million donation from Australian entrepreneur Dick Smith.

Rotary has since been advised that the application was successful, providing an immediate boost towards the cost of Sam’s home modifications.

Locals who would like to support Sam can also donate through the Rotary Australia Benevolent Society appeal. Donations made through this appeal are tax deductible, providing another way for the community to help Sam get home.

Any donations made through this link are tax-deductible. 

Sam is still at Royal North Shore Hospital and is not expected to be discharged in time for the weekend, but her mum says she is in good spirits and deeply grateful for everything the community has done.

Sam’s Story

Sam Pratt is a 29-year-old para swimmer and Australian squad representative who grew up on the lower north shore. After breaking her foot in 2022, she was diagnosed with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome and made the difficult decision to have a below-knee amputation. She learned to walk again, became national champion in the 200m freestyle, took up wheelchair basketball and was named in the 2026/27 Australian Para Futures Squad.

In November 2025, she suddenly lost feeling and movement in her legs and was diagnosed with Functional Neurological Disorder. She has now spent months at Royal North Shore Hospital. Sam is well enough to want to be home, but her Greenwich house has stairs just to get inside and a bathroom that is not wheelchair accessible. The modifications she needs cost more than she has and more than the NDIS can cover quickly. You can read her full story here.

How You Can Help

Turn up this weekend. Head to Jack & Co at Northwood or Lane Cove on Saturday or Sunday, grab a snag, a coffee or fill up the car, and you’ll be helping get Sam home.

Donate. You can support Sam through the Help Sam Get Home GoFundMe.

Make a tax-deductible donation. Lane Cove Rotary has also established a Rotary Australia Benevolent Society appeal for Sam. Any donations made through this link are tax-deductible. 

Lend a hand on the BBQ. We may need a few more hands on the tongs across the weekend. If you have an hour or two spare and would like to help flip some snags for a good cause, get in touch with In the Cove at [email protected].

Offer a skill or service. Getting Sam home isn’t only about money. If you’re a tradesperson, occupational therapist or equipment supplier who can help with the remaining home modifications, Lane Cove Swim Club can pass offers of help on to Sam’s family.