Who was Sariah Saibu? GoFundMe raises more than $5,000 as Australian actor of Beautiful They fame dies

On January 30, Australian actor and model Sariah Saibu, seen in the 2021 award-winning coming-of-age short Beautiful They, passed away.

She hailed from Perth and portrayed Violet in the Cloudy Rhodes-directed LGBTQI coming-of-age romance surf movie, Beautiful They. Besides that, Sariah Saibu also worked as a backup dancer for multiple music videos.

Saibu's aunt Cassandra Colvin shared the devastating news and paid tribute to her on Facebook. She said:

"This morning we lost our darling Sa Riah. I am struggling to find the words to express the grief that I and her family are feeling at this time, and I know her loss will be felt by many."

She also thanked Sariah Saibu's friends, who have been supportive of the family since the tragic news broke:

"A shout out to the beautiful Sariah friends who have already reached out to me and Sariah's family - your words, and the deep love you clearly have for Sariah, provided comfort - I send my love back to you as you all make sense of this tragedy."

Saibu's aunt also attached the actor and model's black and white picture, as she concluded:

"RIP beautiful - all our love always."

After Saibu's death, a fundraiser page, "Celebrating Sariah," on GoFundMe was also set up by a friend Blue Brashaw for her funeral and memorial service, with the goal of raising AU$5000.

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Fundraiser campaign set up on GoFundMe for Sariah Saibu raises more money than the initial goal of $5000

The fundraiser on GoFundMe for Sariah Saibu's funeral and memorial has received more than AU$5000 (Image via gofundme.com)

The GoFundMe page has received more than its initial goal, as site visitors have shown overwhelming support for Saibu's family. The fundraiser is meant to end before February 15, the day the actor's memorial service will be held.

The description on the fundraiser page defines Sariah as "the Queen, the Karaoke King, the Star, and the Icon" as it mentions that the actor was:

"The Princess of not only Perth, but Darwin. The protaganist of our lives and gem of our hearts. Sariah made everlasting impressions on her community, which has been felt and greatly appreciated by her family and closest friends. Every Princess deserves an extra, sassy and heartfelt celebration of life."

The donations on the GoFundMe page are focused on assisting Sariah Saibu's family in organizing the memorial service in Walyalup/Fremantle. At the same time, the fundraiser will also support the family financially to "travel to Darwin/Garramilla for a memorial in March."

Per the details mentioned on the GoFundMe page of Sariah Saibu, "the celebration of her life" in the form of a memorial service will begin at 9 am (AWST) on February 15, 2023. The venue for the service will be Kidogo Arthouse, Bathers Beach, Walyalup/Fremantle.

To capture Sariah's essence, the departed actor's family wants her service to be "fun, performative, silly," and the guests attending the memorial are asked to "dress extra, and in color." The fundraiser page has also requested the attendees to "bring flowers to share with the Queen" Sariah Saibu.

Readers who desire to contribute can visit the GoFundMe page here and contact Blue Brashaw if they want to "be part of the service in any way at all."