2006 Australian of the Year Professor Ian Frazer was the guest of honour at a special function in Hobart to raise funds for cancer research.

Professor Frazer, who developed a vaccine with the potential to eradicate cervical cancer within a decade, attended the ‘Hobart Cancerians‘ Cocktail Party at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery.

He was joined by Hobart Lord Mayor Rob Valentine and a host of long time supporters of the ‘Hobart Cancerians Committee‘, including Jeannie Taranto, Pamela Archer and Gillian Groom. The dedicated Committee has been raising funds for the Australian Cancer Research Foundation (ACRF) since its inception in 1984.

The founder and leader of the University of Queensland’s Centre for Immunology and Cancer Research, Professor Frazer provided a special insight into his 20 year cervical cancer research project. The vaccine has been proven to prevent infection and reduces pap smear abnormalities by 90 per cent.

The spectacular 2006 Canberra Cancerians Gala Ball, hosted by Bollywood impresario “Indian Love”, featured a Bollywood Dance Show, dance music and a sumptuous menu of gourmet Indian delicacies prepared by Hyatt Hotel Canberra chefs.

Parliament House was dazzling with more than 600 generous guests raising more than $250,000 for the Australian Cancer Research Foundation. ACRF Chief Executive, David Brettell, presented a cheque for $1.13 million to Professor Frances Shannon of ANU’s John Curtin School of Medical Research.

Auction items to die for brought spirited bidding from guests and included a rare white and gold South Sea pearl necklace from Creation Jewellers, Manuka, a 12-day Indian adventure tour flying Qantas and staying in superb Hyatt Hotels and Resorts iin Goa, Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata and a painting by one of Australia’s foremost Aboriginal artists, Barbara Weir. The sought-after raffle prize was a 2006 Volkswagen Beetle Cabriolet donated by Lennock.

The Cocktail Party

The Cancerians Canberra Committee has raised more than $1 million hosting Canberra’s must-attend annual Black & White Ball. The hardworking committee launched the 2006 “Welcome to Bollywood” Gala Ball at a glittering cocktail party at Canberra’s magnificent Hyatt Hotel. A fashion parade of spectacular, exotic Indian fashions, a Grange Hermitage lucky dip, cocktails and sumptuous Indian delicacies, courtesy of Committee member and supporter, the Hyatt’s Karl Diefenbach, made the evening a brilliant success.

Cancerians Committee President, Eric Koundouris welcomed guests and brave lung cancer fighter and committee member, Jill Sunderland spoke about the importance of research funding in providing access to the newest treatments to fight this most devastating disease. The Bollywood Gala Fundraising Ball is at Parliament House, Canberra on Saturday August 26.

Thank you to principal sponsor MacDonalds, Gold Sponsors: ActewAGL, Hyatt Hotel Canberra, Lennock, Michalis Holdings and NAB.

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The Shellseekers presented a $6200 cheque to ACRF Chief Executive David Brettell at their annual Christmas luncheon in December.

The group raised the money during their recent fundraising weekend at Belrose Bowling Club.

At the luncheon — hosted by President Di Docherty – David and the guests were entertained by the North Side Serenaders, who sang some Christmas Carols.

A Sad Loss for Melbourne Cancerians

Melbourne Cancerians have expressed their extreme sadness at the loss of their inaugural chairman and ACRF trustee, The Hon Marie Tehan, following a short illness, aged 64.

Marie was the champion behind the development of the Melbourne Cancerians Committee, which she took on board from her close friend and former parliamentary colleague, the Hon Ann Henderson. Ann had the vision for the Committee and it was Marie who made it all a reality following Ann’s untimely death.

Tributes have flowed from all over Victoria for Marie, remembering a strong, articulate and brilliant woman, who, above all, placed her family at the top of her priority list.

A graduate of Melbourne University, finishing in the top three in her law/arts degree, Marie married Jim in 1963 and settled in regional Victoria. Being a mother of six children was no barrier to Marie to opening a legal practice in Mansfield, which quickly grew into a flourishing entity. With an enormous capacity, Marie also involved herself in a number of humanitarian plights during the 1970s, partly inspired by her compassion and commitment to Catholicism which carried through more recent involvements with the plight of asylum seekers in Australia and participation on the boards of the St Vincent de Paul Society, the Refugee and Immigration Legal Centre and the Catholic Commission for Justice Development.

The Melbourne Cancerians’ end-of-year cocktail party honoured the many generous individuals and organisations that helped them raise money for the ACRF in 2004.

Over 100 people attended the party at the Grand Hyatt Melbourne, which also paid tribute to Melbourne Cancerians’ inaugural Chairman — the Hon Marie Tehan, who passed away after a short illness in November 2004.

During the evening, the ACRF presented a $1 million cheque to the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, as part of its 2004 annual grant allocation. The event was sponsored by the Grand Hyatt Melbourne. The hotel’s General Manager, Michel Koopman, is a long standing supporter of the ACRF, through his association with the Canberra and Melbourne Cancerians.