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Colin Mayne Reynolds OAM
Colin Mayne Reynolds OAM (born 24 April 1939) is a retired tourist coach driver and philanthropist. In 1993 he founded the Oncology Children’s Foundation in Australia which was rebranded as The Kids’ Cancer Project in 2012.

On 26 January 2000, Reynolds was awarded a medal of the Order of Australia in recognition of his determination to make a difference to the lives of children diagnosed with cancer.

By January 2018, The Kids’ Cancer Project had committed more than $36 million in funding to childhood cancer research.

Career
Tourist coach driver Reynolds started his driving career with Ansett Pioneer Tours in 1965. He was employed by a variety of coach operators including Clipper Tours, Newmans Coach Lines and Westbus (Luxury Coach Division) Australia until 2001.

Reynolds lists among highlights of his career conveying members of the United States Secret Service for President H W George Bush during his 1991 tour and [https://au.usembassy.gov/our-relationship/policy-history/presidential-visits-australia/ President Bill Clinton during his 1996 tour along with people moving for the papal visits of Pope John Paul II in 1986 and 1995.

Philanthropist
In the late 1980s while Reynolds was employed as a tourist coach driver, he was driving his empty vehicle past the former Children’s Hospital in Camperdown, Sydney. After stopping to let two young children with bald heads cross the road, he parked and on the spur of the moment went into the hospital. Touched by the spirit of the children and families he met that day, Col made it his personal mission to help kids with cancer in any way he could.

For the next ten years, Col helped the children forget their illness by taking them on day trips away from their treatments and hospital beds. He paid for the trips himself and started fundraising determined to do more. Every few weeks though, Col faced the inevitable heartbreak of hearing that some children had passed away.

When Col was told by the doctors the only way to stop this anguish was through medical advancement, he turned his passion and enthusiasm to raising money for childhood cancer research.

The Oncology Children’s Foundation was registered on 29 July 1993. The charity’s fundraising model was based on the sale of raffle tickets, prizes on offer were cars.

The Children’s Hospital at Westmead was the first institution to receive funding for childhood cancer research through the Oncology Children’s Foundation.

In 2012, the charity had come of age. In that year alone it had committed almost $2.8 million to fund 15 separate scientific studies across Australia to find better treatments and a cure for childhood cancer.

The same year saw the charity rebrand as The Kids’ Cancer Project. Now it was generating funds for research not only through the raffle program, but also through the sale of branded teddy bears. Many individuals and community groups were now donating and fundraising on behalf of the charity.

New offices in Rosebery were officially opened on 8 June 2012 by the Honorable Tanya Plibersek MP who was the Australian Minister for Health at the time.

Television
Reynolds has been the subject of two Australian Story television shows airing on the ABC.


 * 1) 9 April 1998: The Bus Driver/Dear Doctor
 * 2) 3 March 2014: His Driving Force

Humanitarian initiatives
Reynolds is an active participant in fundraising for the charity he founded from selling raffle tickets at local markets, to having his head shaved for the cause.

In 2016, at the age of 77, he walked the Kokoda Track in Papua New Guinea and raised over $16,000.

In August 2017, Col drove The Kids’ Cancer Project branded bus 9,800 kilometers down the east coast of Australia    stopping in capital cities and small rural towns alike to raise awareness that science is the solution for children with the disease.

Honours and awards
In 2000, Reynolds was awarded a medal of the Order of Australia in recognition of his determination to make a difference to the lives of children diagnosed with cancer. In 2010, Reynolds was recognised for his contribution to the lives of children with a Gold Harold Award from Life Education Australia.

Personal life
Reynolds married Julie Ann Davidson on 24 March 1973 and was divorced on 8 September 2004 after 16 years.

The couple lived in Sydney NSW had three children; Simmone born 20 August 1976, Kylie born 10 January 1980, Grant born 9 June 1982.

In 2005, Reynolds moved to Townsville where he now lives as a caretaker.