Keith Alessi was a successful turnaround CEO who revived the fortunes of failing Canadian companies and was obsessed with collecting banjos.

Keen to learn how to play his closetful of instruments, at the age of 61 he quit his job.

“Two weeks later, I was given this deadly cancer diagnosis … I was supposed to only live a year,” Alessi said.

He has now been in remission for eight years, although his annual tests still provoke in him “a little PTSD”.

Alessi is unusually lucky. After being urged by others to share his inspirational story, he entered the ballot to hold a show at the Toronto Fringe and his name was the first one drawn.

That show Tomatoes Tried To Kill Me, But Banjos Saved My Life is part of this year’s Adelaide Fringe

“It’s pretty much an old-fashioned Fringe story: one guy standing on stage telling a story.

“It has really touched audiences everywhere I’ve gone, there’s a universal message … a call to action asking people to not defer [their] long-deferred passions any longer.”

Alessi has had “incredible” interactions with audience members post-show, meeting fellow cancer patients and survivors, and those inspired by Alessi to finally follow their life’s passion.

Since 2018, he has raised more than $1 million for charities from his shows at fringe festivals worldwide.

As a performer, Alessi knows he is in a unique position.

“I’m not your classic artist. Financially, I was in a much better place than most of the folks who do shows at fringes. I’ve been able to donate 100 per cent of my gate since we started this,” he said.

All money from his ticket sales at Adelaide Fringe will go to Arts Unlimited, the festival’s philanthropic arm.

Arts Unlimited helps to elevate diverse voices and remove barriers to participation for artists and audiences.

“Most people would never get an opportunity to get on the stage if it weren’t for the Fringe.

“I couldn’t have walked into a theatre and said, ‘Hey, I’d like tell my story,’ they’d have booted me out.

“Fringe gave me a chance, and more importantly, gave me a chance to perform [without] any professional training.”

The takings from his show on 29 February will go into the pool of donations raised for Arts Unlimited’s Giving Day.

The annual Giving Day raises funds to purchase tickets for communities experiencing disadvantage and low socio-economic school groups.

Community organisation Connecting Foster & Kinship Carers SA has received free Fringe tickets for its carer families for the last few years.

CEO Fiona Endacott said the tickets provided a “beautiful, inclusive opportunity” for children in care and their home-care families.

“For young people in care, there’s already a significant stigma that’s attached,” Endacott said.

“Fringe is a normalising opportunity… knowing that you can go along and experience such an incredible event… and say [to other kids] that you’ve attended and enjoyed it, and been out with your family.”

For some of the children, attending a show also provides an opportunity to connect with their culture through the arts. Endacott said 2022’s drone show Sky Song presenting First Nations history, culture and art was a prime example of this.

“We gave tickets to families who were caring for First Nations young people and the feedback we received brought a tear to my eye,” she said.

Connecting Foster & Kinship Carers SA is the independent peak body for the state’s approximately 5000 foster and kinship carers who provide family-based care.

More than 1200 are members of the organisation, which advocates for individual carers, while also lobbying parliamentarians and government for the rights of carers.

There are currently 4856 children and young people in care in South Australia, with the number rising steadily over the past five years. Of them, 84 per cent are in family-based care. The remaining are in residential care or supported independent living.

“Our foster and kinship carer families across South Australia provide incredible opportunities for young people who can’t be with their biological families,” Endacott said.

With the cost-of-living crisis biting hard across the state, she said carer families were incredibly grateful for the free tickets.

“It’s considered a luxury to attend events like this,” she said.

“For some, it’s the first time they’ve ever been to the Fringe and seen a show, let alone gone to a [vibrant and noisy] Fringe location.”

Even a good experience can sometimes be overwhelming and Endacott said, for carer families, this delivers an added risk of needing to leave prematurely and not realise the full value of their tickets.

“The way I phrase it to the wonderful people at Adelaide Fringe is that their free tickets are a beautiful way to expose the amazing events and culture that South Australia has to offer to young people in a risk-free way.”

Arts Unlimited is aiming to raise $160,000 through public donations on its annual Giving Day.

Donations will be matched by Arts Unlimited’s partners Lumo Energy SA, the Uraidla Hotel and MGA Whittles Community Foundation – extending the impact of donations made by Fringe artists and the public.

Donate here.