The response has been heart-warming. And a perfectly timed reminder that people do care.
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But then chairman Allan Hawke shouldn't be surprised. It's all part of being in the Canberra Raiders family.
Hawke's just completed a seven-week spell of radiation therapy on his skin cancer that he admits has taken it out of him.
But it hasn't stopped him and he was at the Mal Meninga Medal presentation at the AIS on Tuesday night giving his annual speech.
He plans to be back on the Royal Canberra fairways this weekend as well.
Then he'll be in the Canberra Stadium stands for their historic preliminary final next Friday.
"I couldn't have more support, not only from the Raiders, but from people I know in all walks of life," Hawke said.
"It's actually a bit of a revelation - about how many people have gone out of their way to contact me and offer me support.
"It's pretty heart-warming. It's a bit of a lesson to you that people out there do care."
Along with the messages, Hawke had another key ingredient during his treatment - Meat Loaf.
Not the eating kind, the listening kind. While Meat Loaf didn't go down too well at the AFL Grand Final a few years back, it helped him during therapy.
He got to the point where he knew exactly when his treatment would end as he listened to Paradise By The Dashboard Light.
"I've lost a fair bit of weight, but all the signs are that it worked," Hawke said.
"I'll be going back to the specialist in a week or two and they'll give me what the prognosis is.
"But the effects are cumulative so don't be surprised if you're still feeling a bit off the pace for the next couple of weeks and you should be almost fully recovered by the end of October, early November."
MORE RAIDERS NEWS
It's been a tough year for the Green Machine on the health front.
Along with Hawke's illness, Raiders recruitment boss Peter Mulholland is undergoing treatment for lymphoma and former Canberra prop Quentin Pongia died of cancer in May.
Pongia played in the Raiders' 1994 premiership alongside Raiders coach Ricky Stuart.
"We had Quentin pass away, we had Peter Mulholland, who's very ill, cancer as well, Allan," Stuart said.
"But I know they know that the club's right behind them. That's what makes us a special club."
That support goes beyond Stuart to the team as well.
Raiders co-captain Jarrod Croker reiterated Stuart's comments and added that Hawke was much more than just their chairman.
"He's had a tough time of it 'Hawkey'. It was good to see him in the sheds [after the New Zealand Warriors game] and going well," Croker said.
"It's a tough time, he's a great man around the club Hawkey. He knows we're all supporting him.
"Him and 'Stick' are obviously really good mates, he's become a good mate of ours as well.
"The club's all behind him, he knows that, but he's hanging tough."
Stuart and Hawke's time at the Raiders are linked, with the latter taking over the chair from John McIntyre as Stuart began his time as Raiders coach ahead of the 2014 season.
Despite undergoing treatment at the time, Hawke was there the other week to announce Stuart's re-signing until the end of 2023.
Stuart said the Raiders was a better place having someone like Hawke at the club.
"The one thing that's very similar between John McIntyre and Allan Hawke is that they've got your back," he said.
"I feel very safe with those people as leaders because they're honest men, they'll tell you what they believe and you walk out of the room and you know that it's a unanimous decision whatever we're discussing, and you know they've got your back.
"I couldn't ask for anything more. He's a man of high integrity and I trust Allan.
"He's an unbelievably mentally tough person. With what he's going through at the moment in regards to his illness.
"There's never any whingeing and it must be hard at times because I know he's in pain.
"I've got nothing but admiration and respect for him as a person. We're a better club having personalities such as Allan on board."
Raiders director Terry Weber has known Hawke for 30 years - dating back to Hawke's time as a high-flying public servant.
Now they're sharing their passion for the Green Machine.
Hawke was Australia's high commissioner to New Zealand, chancellor at Australian National University and the secretary for the Defence Department.
He was made a companion of the Order of Australia in 2010.
"He's a mate. Apart from we're on the board, I've known him for 30 years," Weber said.
"It's hard obviously when any mate isn't well, but he's such a tough, fighting and positive person.
"He's had an immense impact in being a leader and part of the culture of the Raiders.
"There's a word of values - CRIP: courage, respect, integrity and professionalism and that's the values the Raiders have lived by for the last few years and Hawkey's been a big part of that.
"It's been business as usual for Allan and that's the nature of the man."
NRL PRELIMINARY FINAL
September 27: Canberra Raiders v South Sydney at Canberra Stadium, 7.50pm. Tickets available Monday (members) or Tuesday (general public).