Supporter stories continued

More fabulous fundraising stories!

Feeling Inspired? If you would like some tips on how to plan your own ACRF fundraiser visit our Fundraise for Cancer Research Page.

Clothes, fun, girls and lots of shopping….

Sophia Brown, Alicia Clements, Anna Brown and Hannah McGrath make up Two Bucks ‘Til Wednesday – an enthusiastic bunch of girls who “collect and sell the loveliest vintage clothes and accessories to raise money for the Australian Cancer Research Foundation”.

From humble beginnings of only 15-20 people at their first sale in 2007, the Two Bucks ‘Til Wednesday 2009 Winter Wonderland sale had hundreds of people lining up outside the door, selling out in 1 hour and raising over $5000! You go girls! To find out more about these vintage fashionistas visit the Two Bucks ‘Til Wednesday Facebook and Twitter pages. Read the full Two Buck ‘Til Wednesday story here.

Bernadette goes bald for cancer research…

Western Australian Bernadette Johnstone pulled out all stops recently when deciding to shave her head to support a friend battling lung cancer and to raise funds for the ACRF.

The former Scot called on friends from as far a field as Bridgetown Western Australia, Hong Kong, Port Headland and England, to sponsor her head shaving and they really came to the party helping her to raise more than $1500. Thank you for your bravery and generosity, and hey, you look great! Read more here

Doing it big Greek style…

A very special dinner held in Adelaide recently raised more than $2500 for cancer research. Greek mother Mrs Helen Polymenas prepared a special “feast” for more than 120 people in aid of the ACRF.

A cook of great renown amongst her family and friends, Mrs Polymenas and her husband Christos have lost friends to cancer recently so they wanted to do something to support cancer research. Thank you so much to Mrs Polymenas, her husband, daughter and all the supporters from the generous Greek community. Read more here

Golden coins for cancer research….

Water Corporation (WA) recently donated $1257.87 to the Australian Cancer Research Foundation (ACRF), funds collected by the organisation’s staff Charity Group- where employees are invited to contribute a gold coin donation every Friday.

At the end of the financial year staff were asked to make suggestions for potential charities to receive the accumulated funds – the ACRF and 3 other charities were short-listed. After an employee vote the ACRF won! Thank you Water Corporation employees for supporting us here at the ACRF!

On the run for ACRF….

Record numbers of ACRF supporters have recently been raising much-needed funds for the organization and staying fit and healthy at the same time. For our supporters, the reasons for participating in this year’s Run Melbourne and Sydney Morning Herald Half (SMH) Marathon were many. Some supporters were running in memory of family members that had sadly passed away from cancer, others in support of friends/family currently undergoing cancer treatment, and some in celebration of friends/family overcoming cancer and going into remission.

There were even a number of lovely supporters that simply chose to support cancer research in an effort “do their bit” to help find a cure for the disease that affects so many around the world. A very big thank you to everyone that took part in this year’s SMH Half Marathon and Run Melbourne marathon, as well as to all of their supporters and sponsors. We are so very grateful for your energetic support! Read the full story here

ACRF benefit concert rocks Colac….

Musicians from around the Victorian Western Districts town of Colac united forces to perform at a recent benefit concert in aid of the Australian Cancer Research Foundation (ACRF). Local ACRF supporter and music lover Sheila Johnson said she had organized a young performers’ concert to pay tribute to her husband Antony who died from cancer eight years ago.

Warmest thanks to Sheila, Dylan, Toby and Katie, to all of the talented artists that performed at the event, and all of the lovely event sponsors and supporters. We greatly appreciate your enthusiasm and support. Looking forward to the next big event! Read more here

Crossing for cancer….

In a historic first, twelve brave Paddlers paddled two OC6 outrigger canoes 378KM across treacherous Bass Strait from Victoria to Tasmania recently to raise awareness and money for the Australian Cancer Research Foundation and collected more than $20,000!

Taking 11 event filled days, the crossing saw the two teams of six battle huge waves, wild seas and encounter startled sharks and giant albatross. The crossing honoured two men – Peter Corbishley (renowned builder and racer of outrigger canoes), who was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkinson’s Lymphoma last year, and Chris Robinson (paddler and renowned environmental activist), who sadly lost his battle with cancer this year.

A very big thank you to everyone involved. Special thanks to the courageous paddler team: Brendon, Peter, Colin, Lisa, Marie, Chris, Jason, Terrence, Gert, John, Ian, Alison and Marcel! What a tremendous achievement! Read the Full Story

Personal journey motivates Penny….

A personal cancer battle provided added impetus for one passionate Sydney woman to raise funds for cancer research – Penny Bauer, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2007, has been raising funds for cancer research since October 2005 by hosting jewellery parties and selling jewellery.

Visiting the ACRF offices recently, Penny told of her battle with cancer and determination to support other women with breast cancer. Penny, your spirit and dedication is an inspiration to us all. Thank you.

Curing cancer one step at a time….

Mark Gibbens (registered nurse, husband and father of one) is an Endurance walker who has solo walked an amazing 5300KM from Perth to Sydney to raise funds for Cancer Research!

Mark’s motivation was a tribute to his close friend and mentor who died from cancer in 2007, as well as all of the cancer patients (and their loved ones) that he has encountered during his time as a nurse. In addition to raising much needed funds, Mark dedicated each day of his walk to people who have experienced cancer themselves or with a loved one.

Mark’s journey began in Perth on the 22nd February, and officially finished with a welcome by the Foundation and morning tea at the Children’s Cancer Institute of Australia in Randwick (Sydney), attended by ACRF representatives and supporters, and cancer researcher Dr. Michelle Henderson. Read the full media release on Mark’s arrival here. To find out more about Mark’s inspirational journey click here.

Girl power to the fore in aid of ACRF….

The community spirited girls at Melbourne’s Mater Christi College recently got right behind student Bethany Peele when she shaved her head for the Australian Cancer Research Foundation. Truly living up to the schools motto “A Good Samaritan School For Girls”, the young women of the school united to mark the passing of a close school friend of Bethany’s from melanoma. The Year 10 student wanted to raise awareness and funds for cancer research, while getting the whole school involved.

Thank you Bethany and students of Mater Christi College for your enthusiastic support. Mater Christi is a girls’ college that was founded in Sydney in 1857. The now Melbourne based school is located in Belgrave in the Yarra Ranges.

Soda Baby - a small business doing its bit for cancer research….

Danielle Gill is not only the mother of 3 young children, but has also found the time to form Soda Baby Boutique, a beautiful online designer baby clothing and baby gift store supporting ACRF! For every purchase made Soda Baby donates $1 to cancer research, as well as prompting customers to make their own contributions.

To find out more visit the Soda Baby online store. Danielle wrote to ACRF about her motivations for supporting cancer research via her small business, read her story here

Vale Marty Mahy…

Staff of the ACRF were saddened to learn of the recent passing of one of the Foundation’s most enthusiastic supporters, Melbourne musician and teacher Martin Mahy. The musician has organised two benefit concerts for the Australian Cancer Research Foundation.

The first was attended by a large crowd of young music enthusiasts at the school hall of the De La Salle College in Malvern Victoria. The second was at iconic music venue The Dan O’Connell hotel in Brunswick. To read more click here.

A very big thank you goes to Marty, the De La Salle College (Malvern) community and everyone who has attended Marty’s gigs. Our thoughts are with Marty’s family.

A very fun run in Darwin…..

Captain Mark Strickland and the team in HQ 1st Brigade at the Australian Defence Force this year held the first Annual 1st Brigade and Darwin Charity Fun Run at Lake Alexander, Darwin. Including a 10KM, 5KM and Family Fun Run, plus a super fun Fete, the event was held in joint support of ACRF and Legacy.

Following its great success the Fun Run is now set to take place annually! Many thanks to HQ 1st Brigade and the Darwin Local Community for your ongoing support… For more info click here

Prostate Cancer: early diagnosis = better prognosis….

Dave’s Big Walk around England for cancer research. Dave Wilson is 73, from England, a prostate cancer survivor, and an avid walker. Two and a half years ago he was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Dave had radiotherapy and hormone treatment, and was eventually given the all-clear.

“Early detection was the key to me getting a good result and I decided I wanted to do something to help support cancer research. So I’ve decided to take a sponsored walk around Britain, raising money in Australia for the Australian Cancer Research Foundation” he said. Dave’s Big Walk begins at Brighton Pier on 3rd May, and will continue throughout England for around 4 months. To follow Dave around England and to read his story click here. To support Dave in his walk click here.

Morning tea for cancer research….

The Sunnybank/Coopers Plains Branch of Queensland Country Women’s Association (President – Mrs Lorraine Manning) held a delightful Fundraising Morning Tea and Information Session in support of cancer research recently.

Attended by 40 ladies, the event included a “very informative & helpful” talk by ACRF Guest Speaker Professor Melissa Little, cancer researcher at the Institute for Molecular Bioscience – University of Queensland. Thanks Q.C.W.A.!

Kalo Pashcha!….

As we celebrate one of the most important dates on the Greek calendar – Greek Easter – we would like to acknowledge the wonderful support we receive from Australia’s Greek Community. Just last week, John and Michael Cotsios from the Vlahokerasia Association of NSW visited the ACRF offices, generously donating $20,000 to support cancer research!

The Vlahokerasia Association is a small charitable association comprising of members of the Australian-Greek Community who all migrated to Australia from the same village in Greece. We thank John, Michael and all the past/present members of the Vlahokerasia Association very much for their generosity. And we thank the whole of the Australian Greek community for their huge support. For more information on Kalo Pashcha! Go here.

Unite & fight cancer….

Proving just how widespread and varied the support for the Australian Cancer Research Foundation is, comes news of a huge martial arts demonstration and fundraising event held in Melbourne recently. More that $15,000 was raised at the “Unite & Fight Cancer” event in Ascot Vale which attracted close to close to 400 people, who joined the fundraising fight against cancer with a meet and greet, martial arts demonstration, and some fine dining.

A very big thank you to event organiser Catherine Tan (of Tans Martial Arts Supplier), and everyone who supported the event, what a phenomenal effort! Read more here.

An inspirational story of bravery….

For a healthy 35 year old mother of two, Lisa Crawford’s Cancer Diagnosis came as more than a surprise. Yet despite all of the challenges, incredibly, Lisa still considers herself to be one of the lucky ones and bravely chose to shave her head in support of Cancer Research and in memory of an amazing friend “Marie”.

In Lisa’s own words “It’s only now that I realise how lucky I am and YES, a double Mastectomy is not any woman’s dream, nor the thought of Chemotherapy and the rest, BUT I consider myself so lucky as in my numerous hospital visits I have come across many brave and amazing cancer patients – so many not as fortunate as myself.”

Supported by husband Ian (who also did a sympathy shave), her two children, family, friends and colleagues Lisa raised over $4000 for ACRF! Lisa, you are truly an inspiration to us all. Thank you so very much for your support!

A very golden anniversary….

June (Judy) and Gordon Exley recently celebrated their Golden Wedding Anniversary, surrounded by friends and family. Celebrating this momentous occasion with a lovely party, it was the talk of the day that Judy could still fit into her original Wedding gown! – a challenge she keeps to each year, and hopes to continue past their next big anniversary in 2010.

To commemorate their 50th wedding anniversary, Judy and Gordon chose to have donations in lieu of gifts for their special day, raising some wonderful $$ for Cancer Research! Thank you very much Judy and Gordon, and best of luck with your wedding dress challenge in 2010.

Riding for cancer research….

Ando Martin and Joel Fuller had the brilliant idea to ride their push bikes from Melbourne to Sydney – having a wonderful adventure, and supporting a charitable cause in the process. The two cyclers selected ACRF as their charity of choice, hoping to assist in finding a cure for the terrible disease which has affected both Ando’s and Joel’s families, as well as many of their friends. All up the guys rode 1300km! – overcoming super steep hills, surviving ant armies, discovering superb pie shops, and meeting interesting characters all along the way.

Thank you very much Joel & Ando, and all of their supporters, for your wonderful fundraising!

An inspiring bicycle adventure…

Three intrepid travellers recently headed off to beautiful Vietnam on a cycling adventure in support of ACRF.

On the 27th of February Olwen Bradford-Cowling, Carol Simpson and Maggie Neale left on the “2009 – Vietnam by Bike” adventure, facilitated by Charity Challenge organisation Inspired Adventures. The three travellers are riding mountain bikes along the byways of bustling Vietnam, travelling by the same mode of transport as the local people, and raising funds for ACRF in the process.

Before boarding on her adventure, Olwen wrote to ACRF about her motivations for the trip and for supporting Cancer Research; read more about Olwen’s adventure in Vietnam.

For Koby….

Koby is a beautiful little boy of 2 ½ years, and he is fighting hard to overcome leukaemia. Following Koby’s diagnosis on Christmas Eve 2008, colleagues: Gary, Conor and Dennis decided they wanted to support cancer research, in the hope of assisting in finding a cure for the leukaemia that little Koby has.

With the support of Greenlight Australia, Gary, Conor and Dennis are going to complete the BRW mini triathlon on April 5th 2009, with all proceeds going directly to the ACRF.

Read more about the Greenlight Australia Team here. To support the Greenlight Australia Team click here.

Lending a helping hand….

With the support of his friends and work colleagues, along with a pair of clippers and the assistance of a good friend, ACRF supporter Bryant (Churwei Seow) raised some great $$$ for Cancer Research via a Head Shave in Toowoomba QLD.

In Bryant’s words – he hopes that the donations he raised will “help the people that need help”, by supporting Cancer Research, and they certainly will. Thanks Bryant!

Celebrating in style….

Asne and Colleen recently celebrated their combined 60th & 80th birthdays in real style, with a wonderful party, lots of nice food, good music, and with all of their friends and family around them.

The pair chose to have donations in lieu of gifts for their special day, raising over $1500 for Cancer Research! Thank you very much Asne & Colleen, we really appreciate your support.

Surf, sun and one really super swimmer.…

On Sunday February 1st 2009 super swimmer Keith Miles swam a gruelling 2KM in the surf at Manly Beach NSW as part of The Sydney Morning Herald Cole Classic, raising funds for ACRF in the process. Keith is from the UK, studying in Australia for 12 months at the Australian Defence College in Canberra.

He chose ACRF as beneficiary for his fundraising because he lost his mum to cancer in 2001. Thank you Keith for your wonderful fundraising efforts, and warmest congratulations on completing the swim.

“The Cole Classic is not a race but a challenge to all persons to stretch themselves in body and mind to swim a reasonable distance through surf.” Sounds like a pretty mean feat to us!

Australia Day with a difference.…

On the 25th of January 2009 Ballina had an intimate, but successful fancy dress fundraiser for ACRF! A fancy dress theme based on Aussie Bushrangers & Wild Women was very fitting for Australia Day, with the BlueSkillet Rovers Jug band and local legend bush poet Tony Koellner entertaining the folks in true Aussie style.

Event organizer Scott Crommentuyn’s father passed away from cancer nearly a year ago and his wife’s father nearly 8 years ago, and feels support is needed mostly towards prevention through cancer research.

A big thanks to all involved, especially….The Skillets (general shenanigans), Tony Koellner (bush poetry), Kate Heyward (theatrical props), Bianca Smith (photography & modern daguerreotype), Lee Middleton (photography & team morale), Regie Grew (note-taker), Fiona Lomax (monetary policies), Nige MacDonald & Stewart Edwards (camp setup), Mark Law (Moving Pictures), and lastly Tom Silver for taking the sheep home!

Hope, heart and the magic millions….

Brett Walsh and the Australian Outback Spectacular, particularly Shane Phillips, have to be commended for their generosity and kindness. Brett is an assistant horse master at Australian Outback Spectacular. He recently had lost his aunt to cancer. During a show, he spotted a little girl in the audience with no hair. He thought then that he didn’t want her to go through all his aunt had undergone. He wanted to help all that he could. That’s when the idea of a horse auction came to mind! The universe was conspiring in his favour. In less than 24 hours he had secured the support of the Magic Millions thoroughbred-auction company, R.M.Williams, Australian Outback Spectacular, Australian Stock Horse Society, QLD Quality Hay & Produce and Hygain Stock Feeds.

Simon and Bridget Knight from the renowned Warrenbri Stock Horse Stud, hearing of Brett’s plight, magnanimously donated Warrenbri Hope from their stables for the auction. After months of training and preparation, Hope was the first non-thoroughbred horse auctioned at the Magic Millions.

Hope was auctioned off for an amazing $48,000. The proud owner of the stud, Mr. Nick Moraitis had lost his wife to cancer and was genuinely happy to contribute to cancer research in this way. He intends on giving the horse to a former jockey and now well known trainer Kevin Moses. Hope and Brett share a close bond, and were it not for the auction it is hard to imagine them parted. But Brett is happy that he got to achieve what he set out to do – it is both a humbling and wonderful gesture, and we thank everyone that helped this dream take flight!

Hurricane Nicola….

Nicola Neal knows how to get what she wants. Having lost her mum to Ovarian Cancer in 1999 and ex father-in-law to lung cancer – she knows only too well the destruction wreaked by cancer. Her best friend is also currently being treated for cancer. So instead of sitting idly by – she got into quick action. She organized to shave off her hair.

She got on the local airwaves to raise awareness about cancer. She sent emails to all her networks. And she also staged an assault on the Gumdale business community asking them to support her efforts. They responded by donating numerous prizes for her raffle. All up she raised about $1400 and a sense of community wellbeing that will be around for a long time to come.

Nicola couldn’t not have pulled this off without help from the following sponsors – Paper Occassions, Bayside Herbal Dispensary, Kip McGrath, Mensland, Bay Dry Cleaners, Samaji, Courtyard Cottage Gifts, Feeling Great, Absolutely Bootiful Nails, Bookworm Café, Fancy Annes Gift Shop, Montezumas, Britain on the Bayside, Healthy Habits, Healthy Passion Juice Bar, Kathmandu Nepalese Kafe, Palace of Pain Tattoos, Hair Spot Hairdressers, Second Habit, Staceys Barber Shop, Cobblers, Steven Dibbs Jewellery, Colin Weary Pet Photography, Cleveland Post Office, BCF and Heart and Soul Transformations

Cherishing her blessings…

Georgette Collu is a busy, working mother. She has one beautiful daughter and says that she “feels very blessed.” Georgette has come across cancer patients and her heart goes out to them every time. She wanted to contribute in a very real way. So she decided to give her hair the chop! Georgette had been growing it since she was 10 and finally made the decision to part with it!

With help of her friends and family, Georgette raised about $1000 for breakthrough cancer research! Many thanks Georgette!

An old boys’ gift to cancer research....

Brisbane Grammar School is a school that teaches its students about success and ambition, but also about contribution and humility. As a testament to this philosophy, the President of the Old Boys Association, Andrew Henderson donated $500 to kick start a Christmas email campaign to the prestigious network of Old Boys. They wanted to raise awareness about cancer research in the community. Thank you Brisbane Grammar for caring.

In memory of Paddy….

Paddy was a popular local folksinger with a big heart. Tragically in December 2008, whilst his CD was being released, he passed away from cancer. The double CD “Paddy Connolly, Colin Smiley and Friends” comprises of home recordings and a folk festival production of the songs and poetry of the Scottish/Canadian.

The CD was put together by Paddy’s friends and family – “It is not about raising money for us (it) is a labor of love,” said Paddy’s dear friend, Colin Smiley. Colin and his mates keep Paddy’s flame alive – they have raised over $1000 in his memory. More than that, they are still singing his tune in their hearts and will for a long time to come.

Special thanks go to: The Mighty Quinn Tavern, The Irish Scene Magazine “Trad and Now” and the WA Folk Federation who helped in the promotion and selling of the CD.

A backyard dinner party with a twist….

No doubt Carmel McMahon is a lovely soul. She has been supporting ACRF for many years and is one of our most loyal supporters. The memory of her sister who she lost to cancer is her driving motivation. For the past couple of years, Carmel has hosted a private dinner at her lovely home to raise funds for cancer research.

Complimented with mouth watering food, live music and Carmel’s unmistakable hospitality – these dinners are a hit amongst Queensland’s gentry.

Carmel has raised close to $10,000 – an amazing feat! Carmel, thank you for your generosity.

Nagoya Redbacks to the rescue…..

The Nagoya Redbacks team is made up Australians based in Nagoya, Japan. Their passion – football. Their mission – for everyone to love the sport as much as they do. Several of the club’s members have had cancer affect their families in recent years so they decided to donate part of the team proceeds to ACRF.

They held a charity raffle over the Japanese summer months. In Japan, it takes a while for everyone to warm to the idea of a Raffle – so it was a bit of a challenge for the club. Nonetheless, they persevered raising much need funds for research!

The Redbacks are already looking forward to a bigger and better 2009! This is sure to be the start of a long-term friendship between the club and ACRF.

Pampering, luxury and cancer research….

Belinda Naumoska is in the business of Pampering. She is the director of BeLured -a make-up artistry business in NSW. Belinda and her crew decided they wanted to add a touch of difference to their services, choosing to support cancer research by raising both funds and awareness.

So… at the 2threads Fashion Award Show the ladies offered guests a luxurious pampering service! Everything from Manicures to Makeovers and Massages were on offer, and for every pampering service, $2 was donated to the ACRF. Thank you Belinda!

To find out more about BeLured click here.

Keeping her father’s memory alive…

No doubt that Anna Tamara Cox is a fighter. Her dad, Roy died around Christmas time 2007 from Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. Ever since, she has wanted to contribute to the development of cancer research. Swimming is tough. Swimming for 9 km is a feat. But that is exactly what Anna did. She swam the distance around Lake Burley Griffin in Canberra – with a smile!

Her little daughter also did her bit. She got her friends together – and held a lemonade and brownie stand! The team effort raised approx $1315 and a few sore muscles for Anna!

Saluting Tayla’s bravery …

In May 2007, Liz Shaw’s 13 year old daughter Tayla was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma Stage 4 though now she is miraculously in remission after just three months of treatment. Liz, a part time equine artist, decided to put her talent to use and painted a model horse and auctioned it for sale on eBay. All her hard work paid off as she managed to raise $1080 which she kindly donated to the ACRF! The latest update on brave Tayla – she went to Disneyland as part of the Make A Wish program, she got straight A’s in school in 2007 and received a certificate for academic excellence.

We thank Liz and Tayla for their generous support and we wish them all the best in their next adventure!

A team to remember …

Rebecca Patterson and her family and friends are fundraising for the ACRF on a mammoth scale – they are all planning to run the Sydney Half Marathon on the 18th of May 2008.

Sadly, Rebecca’s husband, Steve died in September 2007 after bravely fighting colon cancer. As a result, everyone is doing their bit to help find a cure for this dreadful disease by participating in the marathon in his honour.

A trivia night to remember…

In March 2008, Bev Baker and her colleagues from Macquarie Bank, the netball community and her family gathered at the Ramsgate RSL Memorial club for a Trivia Night in memory of her friend, Val who died from cancer. It turned out to be a spectacular night, with over 260 people attending and contributing to raising over $6600 for the ACRF.

In addition to this, the Macquarie Group Foundation has kindly agreed to match this amount – we salute this amazing effort!

Views, nudes and other things…

That was the theme for the special art Exhibition held this year at the Royal Art Society. ACRF fundraisers (and seasoned artists!) Cynthia Hundleby, Angela Van Wyk and Genifer Williams are well known for their talent in the leafy suburbs of the North Shore. Their paintings are a colourful kaleidoscope of vibrant design, landscape and form.

The exhibition was a resounding success – opened by own CEO, David Brettell. Together the ladies raised more than $1200 for cancer research, and more importantly – loved every minute of it!

A masquerade ball reveals itself…

October was Big for the Penrith community! The super twosome of Steve and Lynne Willingale, who got married last year at a masquerade ball hosted another massive party this year for ACRF.

With a renowned global band, enviable prizes and a guest of honour as distinguished as ACRF trustee, Sir Ian Turbott – Penrith was treated to a mouthwatering extravaganza.

To top off this party – all proceeds were donated to revolutionary cancer research!

Grant vs mother nature …

Grant Morrell and his fellow competitors were poised to take part in the annual Cole Classic in Manly. But Mother Nature had other plans. In all her fury, she blew hard – and the race was moved because it was too rough.

But Grant manned up to the challenge. And crossed the illusive finish line! His motivation – his own mother’s courageous battle with cancer.

An uncanny fundraiser – he raised over $3000 in little over a weekend. Grant, take a bow – and thank you for your wonderful support.

In memory of a dear friend…

For close friends, Jenny Moore and Sharon Field losing their friend Sylvia to cancer was devastating. But it did strengthen their resolve. They trained about 15km a day for months! They planned and sweated. For the walk – they trekked 440 across the mountains from Yass to Albury and made so many wonderful friendships along the way. It was a special walk made even more special because of the purpose beyond the track.

In the midst of all this hard work – the fabulous duo raised over $17,000 from their wonderful feat. We salute you ladies!

Tax with a difference…

No doubt that the Tax and Accounting world is changing these days! Just ask the staff at North Tax & Accounting – they all got behind their mate, Joe Romeo who was just recently diagnosed with cancer.

It was a headshave by the droves – and the funds keep rolling in, over $5000 so far. With support from local businesses, council members and fellow staff members – they have outdone themselves and raised a lot of awareness for cancer research along the way.

Left out in the cold…

Does a marathon in the Antarctic sound like fun? Well, for ACRF fundraiser Paul Ventura – that’s exactly what he did. With days and months in training for this gruelling event – he took off in March. Imagine the puzzlement of the native polar bears and seals upon seeing Paul busily treading the snow filled earth!

Paul’s company also got their special employee – and more than $2000 was raised from this unique run in a far off land.

Wine Partners Australia and Bob Warner; mouth watering wines at your fingertips….

With generosity flowing like fine vintage wine, Wine Partners Australia (WPA) has pledged to donate a minimum amount of $100,000 to cancer research. Armed with the best wine experts within the industry, WPA donates a part of its profits to the ACRF and cutting edge cancer research.

WPA’s commitment to funding breakthrough research has contributed greatly to us and we are very grateful for all the support. In the words of WPA, they are “about enjoying wine, not putting rules on it.”

We are very grateful to Wine Partners of Australia for their wonderful support.

A friend’s love …

Rebecca Wadelton knows only too well the tragic impact of cancer. She has watched her very close friend, Samantha, a sister-like figure, suffer a second brain tumour. Young Sam is only 31!

To show her support and empathy for Sam – Bec bravely shaved her beautiful locks whilst still at University to raise funds for cancer research. Thankfully Sam is doing well now.

We send both of these brave girls the warmest of wishes!

‘Living Local’ at its best …

Edwina Hunter and her vibrant team at Living Local publish great local stories within the North Turramurra community canvassing everything from local heroes, to sporting stars and secret hideaways and locales.

Their purpose – to continually evolve the magazine such that it remains at the forefront of community issues; this sense of direction is one of the reasons for the magazine’s rising popularity.

To top it off, Edwina and the team generously donate 10% of the profits from the magazine to the ACRF – for more info visit the Living Local website.

Coogee Beach Golf Club honours mates at special day…

It doesn’t seem right that you can have so much fun with all your mates, and still do a good deed. But that’s exactly what the Coogee Beach Golf Club did. They organised a Charity Golf Day to raise money for cancer research.

The effort is incredible – $15,128 raised on one day! Thank you Coogee Beach Golf Club. Read more here

Local art studio raises money for cancer research…

A one day art exhibition, titled Stapled to the Ceiling was held recently at the Stoic Gallery in Marrickville by Michael Tsimnadis. Michael brought his wealth of event management experience to showcase artwork across various media as well as featuring live entertainment and refreshments.

$10 from every artwork sold from the silent auction was generously donated to the Australian Cancer Research Foundation.

For more information, click here

The Matt Frost country music launch…

Wyong was abuzz with the musical genius of Matt Frost late last year when he launched his album – all the locals and a few of us out-of-towners, were inspired by the beautiful melodies and rhythm emanating from this earthy artist and his band. Matt’s album ‘All That I Am’ was infused with Matt’s life story.

His rich lyrics touched and demonstrated the pain that Matt has experienced in his life especially his ongoing fight with cancer. It wasn’t all melancholy and tenderness on the night – Matt livened up the ambience with a few upbeat classic Country and Western beats borrowed from Nashville, Tennessee. Matt is donating $5 to ACRF from the sale every CD.

He has been touring the country including the Country Music Festival in Tamworth and been featured on national and international radio and press.

Clothes, fun, girls and lots of shopping…..

Sophia Brown, Alicia Clements, Anna Brown and Hannah McGrath are an enthusiastic bunch of girls who chip in to buy bargains from op/vintage shops. They then hold sales, which they call two bucks til wednesday and mark up the items for a few dollars, to raise more than a $1,000 for cancer research.

They have also been featured in trendsetting magazines such as Frankie, Russh and Jmag.

Sweating it out for cancer research….

Neil Urry was deeply affected when a close colleague of his was diagnosed with breast cancer – he wanted to help and decided that he would raise money for cancer research. As a result Neil participated in the Blackmores Sydney Marathon from Milsons Point to the Opera House. Neil and his friends raised a lot of money for us, and plans to do it again this year!

A walk for Nicola…

This is the walking trek that four friends, Angela van der Vliet, Annette Porter, Liz Robinson and Lynn James embarked on in memory of friends and family lost to cancer. These brave ladies walked over 160 kms crossing France, Switzerland and Italy following the Tour du Mount Blanc route, plus held a successful Golf Day in aid of cancer research and ACRF.

Our youngest ever fundraisers…

Two young Mosman ladies brought some zest to their neighbourhood recently when they sold lemonade to raise funds for cancer research. Eight-year-olds Eleanor Rogers and Renuka Blewitt invited friends and neighbours to purchase a refreshing drink from a lemonade and milkshake stand set up near their homes.

Eleanor and Renuka both have family touched by cancer – Eleanor lost her grandmother, Uncle Brian and Aunt Cynthia and Renuka’s great grandmother died of breast cancer.

Sydney to Melbourne ride no sweat…

Just imagining cycling from Sydney to Melbourne to raise money for cancer research would be enough to make most people feel tired, but for Brad Michaelides it seemed a modest effort compared with the journey cancer victims take.

Mr Michaelides, was sponsored by friends and family on his 1000km 10-day ride and said the possibility to effect positive change inspired him.

Personal journey motivates Penny…

A personal cancer battle provided added impetus for one passionate Sydney woman to raise funds for cancer research – Penny Bauer, who was diagnosed with breast cancer this year, has raised $800 for cancer research since October 2005 by hosting jewellery parties. Penny has become even more determined to help ACRF in its work since her diagnosis

ACRF fundraising a family affair…

Supporting cancer research is all in the family for Year 7 Henry Kendall High School student Brittany Tait, of Gosford, who raised $1800 through chocolate sales and donations, while participating in a school leadership program this year.

Brittany, who wants to help find a cancer cure, was following in the footsteps of her brother Nathan, and sister, Amanda who have also raised money for ACRF.

Megafauna rocks for research…

Rock music set the tune for the fight against cancer recently when the Megafauna charity rock festival in Canberra raised $3500 for cancer research. Hell City Glamours, Super Best Friends and Penguin were some of the bands who contributed to eight hours of non-stop music at ANU Bar. Organiser Ryan Malcolm, who lost his mother to cancer in 2005, wanted to raise awareness of the disease among young Canberrans.

Visit Megafauna Festival to find out more about the 2008 festival.

Pole dancing for cancer research…

Kennetta Hutchens’ Pole Divas studios in Victoria, Jamilla Deville’s studio in Sydney and Kerrin Bradfield’s Flirtish studio on the Gold Coast, all joined forces with pole dancers from other countries to mount the world’s first record attempt for the greatest number of simultaneous pole dancers in September.

Not only was the attempt successful but it also raised $6000 for cancer research. Click here to read more.

Georgie shaves her head for cancer research!…

Georgie Nathan chopped her long hair in front of friends and work colleagues who contributed to her quest to raise money for cancer research after discovering that her close friend, Danielle, had been diagnosed with cancer while pregnant with her first child. Georgie emailed everyone she knew to ask for donations and our online donation page was inundated. In just a few weeks, Georgie raised thousands of dollars in honour of her friend.

Taking steps to cure cancer…

Raising funds for cancer research was a ‘walk in the park’ for this dedicated group of Sydney women. The group, some members of which had been affected by cancer, raised $1000 for the ACRF by braving the winter weather to complete laps of their local park.

The group were ‘sponsored’ by friends, family and work colleagues.

Bravo to all involved!

You can help us – if you are thinking about running an event to raise funds for cancer research, please contact Gilbert toll free on 1300 884 988 or email glorquet@acrf.com.au.