On August 10, Canon Australia announced the winner of the 2009 Canon Creative for a Cause campaign.
Inaugurated by Canon Australia this year, the Creative for a Cause campaign is inspired by the belief that "a single image can change the world" and dedicated to the ideal of kyosei, which means "Living and working together for the common good." Members of the general public are asked to upload a photograph depicting a cause they are passionate about (in the categories of Arts and Culture, Children, Medical and Health, Humanitarian, Welfare, Education, and the Environment), along with a description, to the campaign website. The amount of AUD60,000 (about 4.68 million yen) is donated to the charitable organisation chosen by the winning entrant.
During this year's campaign, which ran for just over a month from May 28 to July 6, more than 2,500 entries were submitted. The finalists were selected by popular vote over the website, with over 100,000 votes being cast, and Canon Australia's in-house judging panel.
The winning entry was In Safe Hands by Blush Photography submitted by Jo Larsen - a photo of her baby son Zeke, who suffers from a heart condition. The prize money was, in accordance with Jo's wishes, donated to HeartKids, a charity dedicated to supporting children like Zeke with heart disease and their families.

Jo had these words of gratitude for Canon. "HeartKids is a phenomenal organisation supporting families of children with heart disease. My son was born with a major heart condition which required urgent life-saving heart surgery within days of his birth. HeartKids provides a critical service to so many families like ours and supports research on heart disease. Canon's donation will allow essential equipment and resources to be purchased so that more can be done to combat this widespread condition. It really is a fantastic feeling to be able to give something back to the organisation that has given so much to my family."

Comment from Kenji Kobayashi, Managing Director, Canon Australia:
"The winning image, In Safe Hands, truly represents what Canon Creative for a Cause is all about. The level of engagement that we've seen from everyday Australians and charities wanting to get involved is testament to the passion that people have for images and causes and the ability for Canon Creative for a Cause to make a difference."