Author: Carly du Toit

My recent 40th birthday celebration with 100 nearest and dearest friends and family was held in memory of my loved friend Anna. On the night, we raised just over $7,000 for ACRF by participating in the Birthday Donations In lieu of Gifts program.

Never comfortable being the centre of attention, I had no intention of having a birthday party. Turning 40 is something of a milestone birthday but all I had in mind was dinner out with my mother, husband and our three young children. Then Anna lost her battle with bladder cancer, suddenly and unexpectedly, which of course had a profound effect on her family, my family, and our mutual friends. So I decided to throw a party to both celebrate life and fundraise in Anna’s memory. I wanted to make a difference, however big or small, to cancer research and awareness. Anna would have loved the big party idea because she had been thinking of ways to help raise bladder cancer awareness when she was going through treatment. Anna didn’t have her chance at raising funds for cancer research but I could do it for her.

The list of my friends and family who have either been affected by cancer or lost their battle to cancer goes on and on. Closest to home was my dad who died of bladder cancer when he was only 56 years old. Losing dad was, without a doubt, the worst day for my mum, my younger brother and me. All of us still miss Dad so much and not a day goes by without thinking of him. He was a wonderful father and husband and an inspiration to us. I am so sorry that he can’t be here with us today.

It is hugely important to me to support the work of the Australian Cancer Research Foundation because my mother has had a few run-ins with breast cancer over the years. If it wasn’t for the research, I doubt that Mum would still be with us today; she has now beaten the cancer twice. Mum is an amazing and strong woman and I’m very proud of her. Both my mother and father are the type of parents any kid would dream of, and I have been so fortunate to have them in my life.

I genuinely hope that raising money can help save the lives of others affected by cancer, and ensure that other young families will live a full life together. I was comfortable asking for donations rather than gifts for my birthday, and it certainly helped that ACRF is a genuine foundation with a long history of funding ground-breaking cancer research. It was also easier for me to push people to “dig deep” knowing that all of the money donated is tax deductible. I would encourage anyone thinking about fundraising to just go ahead and get started. If you don’t ask, you won’t receive, and every dollar counts!

It was a great feeling on my birthday to receive such wonderfully generous support from friends and family. Knowing that we can somehow make a difference to ensuring that cancer research continues is the best gift.

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My aunt passed away a few years ago to cancer and that really opened my eyes to the struggle that cancer patients go through. Despite so many advances in diagnosis and treatment over the years, there is still not a lot of hope for a cure for some types of cancer. I decided to support cancer research because it is the only way to find those breakthroughs that will end all cancers.

I am nearly 16 now, in grade 10 at high school, love playing volleyball with the Dragons, and spending time with my friends. When looking at ways to raise money, I decided on getting a buzz cut. It was a simple way to fundraise, and I really liked that my hair would be donated to make a wig for a child going through cancer treatment.

Choosing which is the best cancer organisation to support can be confusing. I came across ACRF during an internet search, liked what they’re doing to fund research into all types of cancer, and found it very easy and efficient to create my own personal fundraising page on their website.

Thanks to my generous friends, family and with my own donation, it was awesome to exceed my goal of raising at least $2,000. I’d say to anyone who wants to fundraise to just reach out to as many people as you can, in every way that you can. Raising money and awareness for cancer research is something we can all support.

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In December 2015, Joshua Toth, his wife Jane and son Charlie were overjoyed to welcome baby Luke into their family. However, at ten weeks old, Luke was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive Rhabdoid tumour. Despite the best efforts of a team of doctors and nurses at Westmead Children’s Hospital, Luke passed away at six months of age.

“Never in a million years did I think our family would experience what we have in the past two years. Not a day goes by that we don’t wish it was possible to see Luke again. Losing a child to cancer also has us constantly thinking of ways to ensure that no other family has to endure what we’ve been through. For the past two years, Jane and I have been drawn to organisations that dedicate their time, money and effort towards research that will hopefully lead to all forms of cancer becoming a curable disease in the near future. In 2016, our family and friends raised a reasonable amount of money for Children’s Cancer Institute of Australia.

I happened across the ACRF running fundraising site in January 2017 while doing some web searches on various organisations that support cancer research. I was inspired by ACRF’s mission to end cancer and one phone call to them was all it took for me to decide to fundraise for ACRF as part of my participation in Honolulu Marathon 2017. Taking on what is described as 26.2 miles in paradise was going to be challenging as my only other distance running experience had been a 10km run in Homebush almost ten years ago. Although I would be 40 by the time the Honolulu marathon got underway in December, it seemed like do it now or never, in my head anyway. Joining in the race with me was my younger brother Brad who has been through a similarly tragic time when his son passed away very soon after birth. We gave the run everything we had on the day and finished within a few minutes of each other in our respective age groups.

It is estimated that over 134,000 Australians will be diagnosed in 2018 with some form of cancer and one out of every two people will be directed affected by cancer. We have made so much progress against other diseases, it’s hard to believe there is still no cure for this insidious disease, especially childhood cancer. I am grateful there are organisations like ACRF that dedicate themselves to cancer research, and thankful that I can contribute to raising awareness and facilitating that research.”

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Countrywide Food Service Distributors, Australia’s largest group of independently owned wholesale distributors of goods to a variety of foodservice establishments and outlets, is no stranger to helping charities. Countrywide initially began to support a charity after one of its distributors introduced a silent auction at the company’s National Awards Night. Since that evening, Countrywide has established partnerships with numerous selected charities where they can work together on a longer-term basis.

Most recently, Countrywide was seeking a new charity partner for the 2017/2018 period. When developing a shortlist, they looked for: a charity that had national coverage so that each one of the Countrywide 115 distributors/members could get involved, a charity receiving little or no government assistance, and a charity which Countrywide distributors and suppliers could collectively engage with. As everyone has been touched by cancer in some way, Countrywide was confident that a cancer charity would be the best fit. Countrywide recognised ACRF’s uniqueness in their funding of research for all types of cancer and their mission to end cancer through providing equipment needed to improve prevention, diagnosis and treatment of the disease.

Michelle Wearing, Countrywide Marketing Manager said, “The funding that ACRF is able to provide for grants enables some amazing research to take place. When you hear about the positive results that have been achieved from those research projects and how those results are then implemented to improve patient well-being along with preventing cancer in the first place, it is incredibly exciting.”

Countrywide also values the positive impact that fundraising has on their staff. The company has already held a number of events to raise money for ACRF through staff donations. Those events included a multi-cultural lunch where enthusiastic staff members brought in a national dish to share. It was a lunchtime that celebrated the company’s diversity and enhanced its culture. In addition, Countrywide stakeholders are eager to get involved and support ACRF at the company’s next silent auction.

“Working with ACRF really fits with Countrywide’s Mission, Vision and Values and we look forward to raising more funds for ACRF to continue their great work in cancer research.”

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Image: Countrywide presented Australian Cancer Research Foundation with $90,000 in donations.

Prior to settling in Australia, Christmas for our family in the UK was always celebrated in cold and wintery weather. Decorating our house in Lake Macquarie with outdoor lights really began as a way to feel more festive in a warm climate. We started 12 years ago and, over time, it has developed into quite a hobby. My wife and I have three adult sons and ever since our eldest, Adrian, joined in with the decorating, each year’s display has become bigger and better.

This Christmas will be the second year that we’ve raised money for ACRF with donations from anyone who comes to see our lights. When both my wife and I first decided to support a cancer organisation, and after doing some research on the internet, we quickly agreed that ACRF was the one for us. We liked what they were accomplishing. Most people have a family member or friend or acquaintance who has faced cancer. A lot has been done through research to advance treatments, but there is still a long way to go to eradicate or minimise cancer and its devastating effects. My mother died of liver cancer and my family is predisposed to developing bowel cancer so I am acutely aware of what might happen to us in the future.

Setting up each year’s Christmas display does take time, a lot of time. I’m a civil engineer by profession, so you can imagine the amount of planning and structuring that goes into the entire process. It has taken 186 hours this year to set up, working most Saturdays and Sundays in November. As the front lawn is used for six weeks with part of the display and the grass has to be kept short, half-way through we remove all the lights, mow the lawn and then set up again. It takes four hours to accomplish that 15 minutes of mowing!

The complexity of the display has evolved over the years. Five years ago, we started to include computer controlled lights that flash on and off in time with music. More recently, we introduced special RGB lights so we can change every bulb to any colour we like, and then my sons presented me with a snow machine which we use on weekends during the display. The kids love it! This year’s innovation is projections of Santa in the windows waving and getting presents ready. Once the Christmas season is finished, we spend many more hours taking down the display, cleaning and testing all the lights and then carefully packing everything away. We usually don’t complete the task until early February.

In 2017 we had a good-sized flow of people who viewed the lights and who also made a donation. We successfully raised $2,800 for ACRF, and we want to match or exceed that amount this year. The reality is that cancer can affect anyone at any time so everyone should try to do their bit to help. So please come by, see the lights and help support cancer research.

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We, Jayne and Onan, are the proud and happy parents of a beautiful son, Edward. Originally from the UK and Turkey, we have made Sydney our home for almost 10 years. We work hard during the week in marketing and finance and enjoy taking Edward to the beach on the weekends.

When Edward recently celebrated his second birthday, we organised a party with a theme of his favourite things – trucks and construction. Of course, there was also food, balloons, playtime, laughter, singing, and a special birthday cake. What was unusual for a toddler’s birthday party was our request that everyone make a donation to ACRF rather than bring birthday presents for Edward. Our son is fortunate to already have an abundance of toys, and we thought it would be a special gift for him to contribute to the important cause of cancer research.

Cancer affects so many people, and we’ve experienced one of our nearest and dearest suffer from cancer. Onan’s father sadly passed away from lung cancer three years ago.
We decided to fundraise for ACRF as we’re particularly interested in how they have contributed to impactful projects such as providing the seed funding for the world’s first HPV vaccine. We are impressed that projects which receive funding undergo strong scrutiny by a panel of eminent doctors and scientists.

We are extremely happy to have made Edward’s birthday party into a uniquely meaningful occasion. Friends and family who attended were all very positive about our fundraising efforts and made generous donations. Edward had a wonderful day and we look forward to sharing the story him when he is older.

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If I had a personality label, it would read highly motivated and very energetic! I am 47 years old and my husband and I are the parents of two beautiful teenagers. I also work in the busy role of General Manager for a land survey practice. Life often gets absurdly hectic with juggling all of our schedules, but we are a happy and healthy family.

Having previously worked with a medical research institute as the finance manager left me with a good understanding of how much medical research relies on funding support. I chose to become a regular ACRF giver because I particularly like how ACRF funds cancer research of all types.

Sadly, cancer touches all of us at some point. The first time I encountered the disease was with my grandfather. The memory of going to see him during his last few days remains vivid. Although told that he might not remember me, his face lit up when I walked into the room and greeted him. I burst into tears and cried; it was the last time that I saw him.

The next cancer encounter was with my gorgeous father. Some 10 years ago he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and I will always remember how upset we were at the possibility of losing him. Dad recovered fully from that cancer, only to suffer squamous cell carcinoma a couple of years ago. The wound healing process after radiotherapy was long and painful but thankfully he pulled through again. I dread the thought that Dad might face another round of cancer at some point in time.

In more recent times my sister-in-law, Deb, was diagnosed with breast and secondary cancer, and my brother in law is currently receiving treatment for lung cancer. My understanding of his cancer is that it can be managed, but not cured. Deb and Trevor are beautiful people and it’s a long road ahead for them both.

Finally, during the past few weeks, the wife of one of my work colleagues was diagnosed with both breast and lung cancer. They are devastated and trying to come to terms with what their future holds.
There are only so many hugs and good wishes you can send when someone you know is confronted with the distressing news of cancer. I want to honour them all by giving back and taking a positive step toward helping to find a cure.

I would encourage anyone thinking about becoming a regular giver to not hesitate. If you can afford to give even a small amount, it will help and is definitely worthwhile. Continued cancer research is the only way of finding a cure, and to give hope to the many patients and their families suffering from the disease.

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Penny and Emma created Team Park Balding to participate in Head Shave for Cancer Research and to support ACRF. Both women have a background in science and grasp the importance and impact of scientific research. They chose to raise money for ACRF because of the organisation’s funding of research into all cancers.

“We didn’t want to be exclusive in terms of the type of cancer when we were fundraising as all cancers are impactful and distressful to humanity.”

Penny: Cancer is such a tricky disease to treat and cure. By doing this event for ACRF I hope to contribute to the research that will make life easier for cancer patients and their families. As a scientist in the biomedical field, I am passionate about unravelling the complexities of diseases and using science to improve lives. By facing the challenge head-on with passionate and diligent science, hopefully, we can eventually leave harsh treatments behind and find a cure.

Emma: At some point in life we will all be affected in some way by cancer and yet it is so easy to feel alone or that you stand out during that battle. Penny and I have both seen how devastating cancer is in society and how it impacts on people’s lives. Losing people prematurely to this disease has been a motivator to take action to help further cancer research.

“We both chose to do the shave partly because it’s been shown to be a really successful way of fundraising. We also felt that it was a great call to arms to jump on board as it’s a big commitment and personal change for us to make which showed everyone how seriously we felt about fundraising for cancer.”

Emma: Shaving my head is my way of showing support in the visual sense. Being bald has become a societal flag for a cancer patient and that makes a person’s private battle very public. I hope to show my solidarity with patients with this disease and reduce any feelings of isolation associated with hair loss.

Penny: Hair loss brings with it a unique vulnerability as people often use hair as an expression of vanity or as a shield from the outside world. By removing my hair, I want to show anyone who is dealing with this disease that they don’t have to stand out on their own. I also want to symbolise the cutting back of obstacles and barriers that can obscure our clear view and understanding of cancer, which is what more and more research funding will be able to do for the reality of cancer in the future.

“We wish for a future where a cancer diagnosis is not fatal. The only way we’re going to make it to that end is if we do some really solid research into various cancers and make sure early diagnosis is more prevalent and therapies are more effective at reducing and removing cancer from the body.”

Team Park Balding had a big turn-out of friends, families, kids and dogs at their Sunday afternoon barbeque and fundraising party at Jell’s Park, Melbourne. Over $5,700 in donations was collected at the event for ACRF and cancer research.

“We are proud of what we’ve been able to achieve together and so glad that we undertook this event as a team. It was something really worthwhile to put our energy into. Raising funds was tangible, and there was our sense of accomplishment and pride to actually go through with the head shave.”

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My name is Karen and I am a high school teacher, a farmer’s wife and the mother of two boisterous girls aged six and four. We live on our family farm near the rural village of Caragabal in Central NSW.

Like you, I am an ACRF supporter, and I am dedicated to raising funds for cancer research to ensure that all families will get to spend Christmas together for years to come.

And, as ACRF supporters, we know all too well that cancer affects all Australians, from the country to the city, to the coast, from my small village to your community.

Cancer is not new to our family. My dad died of cancer almost 20 years ago, and now I am a cancer survivor myself.

Last year, I was diagnosed with aggressive triple negative breast cancer at 35 years of age. I underwent a double mastectomy, chemotherapy, node dissection and radiation treatment.

Thanks to these and other breakthroughs in cancer research, there is no longer any evidence of breast cancer in my body.

And, thanks to all these advances, I have been left with hope.

Hope that the cancer never comes back. Hope that my daughters will never be directly affected by it. Hope that I will be around to help them through puberty, weddings and babies. And, hope that I will live long enough to enjoy retirement with my husband.

After my personal experience with cancer, I urgently wanted to do my bit to help Australian cancer researchers to find ways to beat all types of cancer.

Although cancer treatments are improving, and major research breakthroughs are getting closer, I know that dedicated efforts will require more funding.

When you make a donation to ACRF today, you give Australia’s best researchers access to the equipment they need to end cancer. By funding new technology, we are helping scientists to uncover information that will lead to better cancer treatment and prevention sooner.

We can all do our part to bring hope to all Australians – together we can help put an end to all types of cancer.
With more funds, researchers and scientists can help realise the hopes and dreams of so many Australian families like mine and yours. Thank you for joining me.   

Karen – ACRF supporter and cancer survivor

I started working in aged care 12 years ago and during that time I saw many people and their families suffer from cancer. Then a few years ago my Nan was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia and she passed rather quickly. All these sad events reinforced my desire to assist ACRF by fundraising. I believe it’s important to support cancer research, not only in hope of a cure one day, but for the advances in treatments, including less side effects, to aid in a better quality of life.

Since giving up my nursing career, I’ve been working in massage therapy and now thoroughly enjoy helping clients with reducing stress and promoting a sense of health and well-being. Running my own small business also gives me the important flexibility of spending more time with our young two children, Lucy and Connor. Outside of family commitments and fundraising, I try to slot in time with my horses too.

For my second ACRF fundraiser, I chose to host a dinner and murder mystery party; it’s something different and so much fun! The event was sold out a couple of months before the event date and there was a waiting list of others who wanted to attend. The party gave everyone the chance to dress up, enjoy a delicious three-course meal and dance the night away with new friends. A personal highlight of the evening was when my very poised six-year-old daughter welcomed everyone to the party.

The feedback from guests was really positive, and there were several requests for me to host another party next year! It is gratifying to raise $5,600 for ACRF, and I thank everyone for their support and generosity.

I would say to anyone thinking about organising an event to just have a go and do something that is fun. Every cent collected for cancer research does count.

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We are the very proud parents of Hannah. Our 7-year-old daughter has a sweet and sensitive nature and is generous of heart. Hannah was born deaf in one ear but that has not slowed her down in the least. She attends a mainstream school, is now in grade 2 at St. Peter’s Primary School, and this year was asked to be part of their advanced reading programme.

Not long ago, Hannah heard from her good friend and classmate about children with cancer and how these children lose their hair from chemo treatments. Hannah spent about a week pondering this information and asked a lot of questions which I answered the best that I could. Hannah sometimes seems wise beyond her years and is very empathetic for such a young girl.

When Hannah came to her Dad and me about cutting her hair off and donating it to a charity to raise money for cancer patients, we were shocked. However, there are times as a parent when you need to accept your child’s good-hearted intentions, despite your own feelings, and this was one of those times.

My mother Brenda, who is a professional hairdresser, was happy to help with her granddaughter’s request. On Sunday, October 22, Hannah’s lovely long brown hair was shortened by nine inches. Yes, I cried and Hannah cried because I was crying! Then Hannah hugged me and we smiled away the tears.

Because Hannah wants to turn her hair into a wig for one child with cancer and wants to raise awareness of cancer, we decided to select two charities: Pantene and Australian Cancer Research Foundation.

We learn every day from our selfless daughter and hope that others will as well. A world free of cancer can happen one little step – like Hannah’s – at a time.

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I’m a huge believer in the phrase “no pain, no gain”! Given this, and with some encouragement from my wife and friends, I have agreed to have my chest waxed to raise funds for cancer research in memory of my Mum.

In April 2016, my Mum passed away back home in Northern Ireland as the result of a short illness from bowel cancer. My brother who is also in Northern Ireland recently organised a whisky tasting event to collect donations for Marie Curie, which is one of the organisations that assisted with Mum’s care. He was successful in raising almost $7,000 so I took inspiration from that and decided to do something in Perth, where I work as an environmental advisor. Because the Marie Curie charity isn’t set up in Australia, I chose to support ACRF for their commitment to funding cancer research.

Unfortunately, my family has been hit a few times by the devastating effects of cancer so it doesn’t take any other incentive for me to back cancer research. I also feel that it’s important to champion the research discoveries made with any type of cancer. It is a powerful motivator and people sometimes need a bit of hope, inspiration and confidence to help financially support this vital work.

I am pretty certain Mum wouldn’t be in favour of the whole chest waxing malarkey which will happen on what would have been her 67th birthday – 2 December. Yet again, she might approve on this occasion as the funds raised are going to an organisation that is striving to end this horrible disease.

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If asked to describe myself, I would say: determined, compassionate, disciplined, and aspiring to develop a career in the field of mental health. I study a Bachelor of Psychological Science (Honours) at the University of Queensland, just handed in my one-year research thesis, and will be graduating from my undergraduate degree in December 2017. I recently submitted my Masters of Clinical Psychology and PhD applications and now wait to hear back with the outcome.

There is also the sporty side of me. I am very lucky to have represented Australia multiple times in Taekwondo at world championships.

I decided to fundraise for ACRF because too many people around me in the past 12 months have been diagnosed or affected by cancer. I struggled with not being able to do anything to help them so gathering donations for ACRF and cancer research was the perfect way for me to do just that.

After looking at ways to raise money, I decided on a salon event where 15 inches of my hair were cut off. The funds collected went to ACRF and my hair to Variety the Children’s Charity, which makes specialised wigs for children who can’t grow their own hair because of medical conditions such as cancer or alopecia. As a budding developmental psychologist, I recognise the impact that physical differences can have on children while they’re growing up.

We all know that cancer is a horrible condition that doesn’t discriminate who it affects. It impacts a person in so many ways. I believe in the values of ACRF, and what they can do for cancer research. Continued vital research is the only way that we can beat this monster disease.

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I’m Hannah, born in the UK, now an Australian citizen, and living near Canberra with my partner Trent and our rescue-shelter dog Odin. My current job brought me to Australia; I work as a Textile Conservator at the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra. Art conservation is quite a unique profession that requires skills which ordinarily don’t go hand-in-hand: art and science.

Running in the London Virgin Money Marathon has been on my bucket list for a while. In 2016 I ran the Canberra Times Fun Run for ACRF, and then became interested in other sporting and fitness events where ACRF needed fundraisers. I find that being part of a wider fundraising group gives a real sense of achievement and meeting fundraising goals becomes less daunting.

I have a personal reason for wanting to raise money for cancer research. My family and I lost our much-loved and long-time friend Barry to cancer this year. As a teenager and university student in the UK, I earned extra money for school expenses by working in a restaurant with my mother’s best friend Sally and her husband, Barry. I had the dream job of making desserts, and Barry and I had all kinds of funny conversations while working together in the kitchen. Like many teenagers I also went through a tough phase with my parents and was quite rebellious. Barry and Sally would always drop me off at home after work shifts; they became my surrogate parents during that time. I will never forget the love, support and kindness they showed me.

The indiscriminate nature of cancer is heartbreaking. Of all the people in the world, Barry and Sally have been two of the most emotionally generous people you could ever wish to meet. Having spent their lives imagining they would grow old together, they have been ripped apart. Although our family is heartbroken, Barry’s death has brought us closer together and we are more appreciative and caring of one another than before.

As someone who works in the science field, I am always interested in new scientific developments. I want to raise funds to enable continued research and scientific breakthroughs as well as help people improve their chances of survival and limit the side effects of cancer treatments. Although it could be some time before cancer is eradicated, tangible progress is happening now. I recently visited the ACRF funded John Curtain School of Medical Research where pioneering researchers such as Prof. Ross Hannan and his team are making solid advances in cancer medicine and treatments. This is where I wanted my fundraising dollars to go.

My London 2018 fundraising campaign has come with its share of doubts. Will I make my fundraising goal? Will I be able to run the entire distance? Will people be interested or care about what I am doing? So far, I have been thrilled by the response to my fundraising efforts from so many generous people. The ACRF team is also fantastic with their continued support and encouragement.

Running in the 2018 London Marathon will not be for Barry alone. It will also be for my friends and colleagues who no longer have mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters because of cancer. Those gaps can never be filled.

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My name is Ashleigh. I support the Australian Cancer Research Foundation and I am committed to doing what I can to end cancer.

In June 2015, I was 25 years old. I had just graduated from university and started my first full-time role as a lawyer. Everything seemed to be going according to plan…

Then one night, on a weekend away with my girlfriends, I felt a strange sensation in my throat and said so out loud. It was at that point one of my friends noticed that there was a visible lump on the side of my neck. I had no idea where it came from, or what it was, but I was pretty quick to assure her that it was nothing. Thankfully, she didn’t back down and made sure I went to the medical centre the next day.

One week later, the biopsy results arrived. The lump was cancerous and I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer.

For someone who had always planned their day down to the nth degree, my diagnosis came as a stark reminder that no one can ever really know what is around the corner for them. My diagnosis came at a time where everything in my life seemed to have finally clicked into the place that I had meticulously carved out. But, what I hadn’t planned for was processing a cancer diagnosis at 25.

I very quickly realised that cancer isn’t one of those things that you can predict and it isn’t something that you can immediately control. It doesn’t follow a script and it certainly doesn’t come with a manual. But what you can control, is the way you respond to it.

I also realised that many thousands of other Australian women face this life-altering reality every year and I was determined to change this

Thanks to the support of people like you and I, the survival rates for many types of cancer, including thyroid cancer, has increased by more than 20% over the past 30 years. That’s an incredible statistic – but it is also a fact. Cancer research breakthroughs are now happening at a faster rate than ever before because of our ongoing community support and advancements in scientific technology.

With this in mind, I wanted to do everything I could to help bring an end to all cancers. I approached the Australian Cancer Research Foundation with a small idea and it grew into something much, much bigger.

With their support and much planning, I hosted a charity black tie gala event called ‘Dinner for a Difference’ that raised over $26,000 for cancer research in June 2016.

By funding cancer research, we will get closer to a breakthrough that will change the way we think about cancer and the many lives that it continues to affect

When you donate to the Australian Cancer Research Foundation today, you give Australian cancer researchers access to the advanced technology they need to find better methods of prevention, detection and treatment for all the types of cancer that affect women.

None of us can know exactly what is around the next corner. But we can all take action today to help ready ourselves for whatever it is that we may find.

So, please join me in supporting the Australian Cancer Research Foundation, and a community that believes ending cancer is possible – because it absolutely is.

Please donate by 31 October to equip Australia’s best researchers with the tools they need to end all cancers that affect women.

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It was my love of the magical world of tea that prompted me to start my own business, Amity Created. Tea has this amazing ability to create a sense of calm and peace in almost any situation. That same sense of calm and peace also reminds me of spending time with my beloved Nonna (grandmother).

Last year I held my first Tea for Tomorrow event in support of my grandmother who was in the midst of a long battle with cancer. In the spirit of Amity Created and my obsession with anything tea related, it made sense to host a high tea. From our pretty teacups and delicious teas to the beautiful cakes; everyone who attended was really spoilt on the day. The response from the public was overwhelming; people attended from interstate and we raised just over $2,000.

Tea for Tomorrow has now become a new tradition. This year’s event, held again in Sydney, also quickly sold out. We more than doubled our fundraising amount to $5000, and we doubled the number of sponsors, all of whom were amazingly generous. Yet again, we had people fly in from Queensland and Melbourne to attend. Everyone came with their own story of how cancer had impacted their lives in some way. It was a very empowering and inspiring feeling to be surrounded by these wonderful people. Although my Noona has passed away, I like to think she was with us at this year’s event, saluting with a cup of tea!

ACRF and its staff have been a wonderful support to me over the past few years. I am appreciative of their help in organising my first event to the very kind words they sent to my family when we were experiencing the grief that comes with losing someone we cherished.

When it comes to fundraising, I chose to support ACRF because of their sole focus on cancer research. There is nothing more gut-wrenching than hearing the news that a loved one has been diagnosed with cancer. Until research leads to a cure for all types of cancer, it is vitally important to continue fundraising and raising awareness. I encourage anyone else who is thinking of fundraising and who genuinely wants to make a difference to act without delay. Without the support of the wider community, cancer research won’t continue at its current pace and every step forward leads to progress.

2017 Amity Created Sponsors: Almond Breeze Australia, Tea at Henry’s, Zen Green Tea, The Love Letter Collective, La Vita E Dolce Biscotti, Glow by Beca, Healing Hands Message Therapy, Wanderluxe and Co, The Tea Nomad, The Rabbit Hole Organic Tea Bar, Vellaris Boutique, Soul and Ark, Just Glow, Loho Stationary, Frank Trimarchi – Photography, Tulloch Wines

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My name is Jess and when I was 14 years old, my mum was diagnosed and successfully treated for breast cancer. Eleven years later, Mum was diagnosed with metastatic (secondary) breast cancer, which really took her by surprise, being unaware that this could occur after being in the clear for so long. Mum is such a strong and brave woman, and someone that I look up to. I am determined to fight this battle with her, every step of the way, and getting behind cancer research is one way I can help to make a difference.

In taking on a fundraiser event, I decided to shave my head for donations. I haven’t had short hair since primary school so it was very long! I knew it would be a nerve-racking event but would also be my special way of supporting Mum as she is going through cancer treatment and experiencing hair loss. After doing some research on how my hair could be used, I decided to donate it for children who also experience hair loss. Hopefully, it will make a great wig for someone!

The whole experience of fundraising for ACRF was extremely rewarding, and the amount of support and love received from so many was overwhelming. Taking on my own fundraiser event has also inspired others to do the same. For example, a friend of mine is now hosting her own head shave fundraiser. The most important step in planning for a fundraiser is making sure you give yourself enough time to brainstorm ideas, including with others who have hosted similar events. If I didn’t have the support from friends, family, work colleagues, ACRF and local businesses, my event would not have been possible.

So many lives continued to be affected by cancer and when you see the suffering of others, especially those close to you, it encourages you to want to strive toward making a difference and support cancer research.

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I am 65 years old and ready for retirement this year. I’ve been working since age 15 so it’s time! My current employer is Bunnings, and the company team was great in supporting my fundraising efforts this year.

My motivation for raising money for cancer research is one that’s close to home. Two young members of my family have been diagnosed with cancer since 2015. When my sister’s daughter, Kylie, was discovered to have ovarian cancer, the cancer was already advanced and classified as terminal; her prognosis was 12 months, at best. Kylie went ahead with her 30th birthday celebrations in February 2016 just prior to having chemotherapy treatment and surgery to remove as much of the cancer as possible and to improve her level of comfort. After several weeks of recovery in hospital, she returned home and then passed away two weeks later while sleeping next to her beloved husband. My niece had known about her cancer for less than six months.

The family is also supporting my brother’s daughter, Leanne, while she fights bowel cancer. Her outlook is encouraging, having reacted really well to chemotherapy treatment. There were shadows on her lungs and liver where the cancer spread, but surgery has successfully removed lung tumours destroyed by the chemotherapy. We are hopeful it will be the same outcome with her liver. Leanne is 35 years old with a wonderful husband and two young children.

When I decided to go ahead with fundraising, I was very overdue for a haircut so shaving my head seemed the best way to go. Bunnings let me use their public BBQ area for the event. Several of my co-workers gave up their rostered day off and along with my family cooked and served the BBQ, sold at the cake stall and mixed with the Bunnings customers who stopped to see what was going on. The amount of donated jams, pickles, relish, cakes and biscuits was astounding and well received by the customers, making over $600 in that area alone. The Bunnings Manager, Damian, cut my hair the same way he does his own – short and with clippers. The whole day was really great, a wonderful atmosphere, fantastic customer attendance and successful with approximately $2700 raised altogether.

Fundraising for cancer research is something we can all do – there is strength in numbers. Being able to do something that will assist in the discovery of a cancer cure is well worth while.

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I’ve been involved in Surf Life Saving since age eight and played sport my whole life so it was a natural to get involved in Coolangatta Gold, the ultimate endurance race in surf sports. I have competed numerous times, three years taking out the 30-39 age group, and runner-up twice. This year’s Coolangatta Gold for me will be unique in two ways. I plan to push the boundaries a little further by taking part in both the 21 km course and 41.8 km course, and I’ll be fundraising for ACRF. My goal is to raise $10,000 and generous donations have already pushed that goal over the half-way mark.

I have known many people over the years who have been affected by cancer; most recently a good mate’s daughter had a tough fight with cancer. Myself and others felt helpless, so I had been wondering just how I could support my friend and others. I believe that kind of support is best represented by ACRF and their ongoing cancer research. Research not only assists in treatment advances; it will ultimately result in a cure for all cancers.

I’m sure there are people who think it’s crazy to take on two races in the same weekend and in reality that is probably true. Thankfully, my wife, family, friends, coaches and colleagues have been truly supportive, which helps me to forget about the cold mornings paddling in winter, being tired and having sore muscles. I don’t believe anyone has done both courses on the same weekend so this is my chance of pushing myself to achieve it.

My two-year-old daughter won’t remember her Dad’s efforts in this year’s competition, but I do hope she has the opportunity to remember a long lifetime – free of cancer.

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We are four aqua aerobic friends, the Curly Girls. Sadly, cancer has impacted all of us in some way – family members, colleagues and friends. If we are to lessen cancer’s grip on us, it means continued research and the cost of that is enormous, well beyond government funding and grants. We wanted to help out and decided to fundraise for ACRF by holding a head shave event. The Curly Girls would become the Baldy Babes!

In planning our event, we decided to think big and involve the whole community of Sussex Inlet. We canvassed local shops and businesses seeking donations of raffle prizes and BBQ supplies and lined up volunteers to help out on the day. The event was held for three hours on a Saturday to coincide with our local market that is always popular and draws extra people into town. There was a coin toss, golf putting competition, door prizes, wig library demo, raffle draw, and entertainment by local musicians. Everyone in the community was enormously supportive and our head shave day raised over $11,000. There are many memorable highlights: the buzz on the day, the personal stories shared by raffle ticket purchasers and the hugs that followed, the generosity of anonymous donors, the many friends and people in the community who gave their time, money and support without hesitation, and of course the excitement of having raised such a sizeable amount of money.

We love our new less hair look and some of us are thinking how easy care it is. Our friends, family, and people on the street are having fun sharing comments as our hair slowly grows back.

We’re proud of our fundraising achievement, and we had a great time doing it. To anyone else planning a similar event, our advice would be to give yourself time to plan – we took 10 weeks – and don’t be afraid to ask others for help. Plan to print and sell raffle tickets, plan an event schedule for the day, do a test run, and then plan some more. After all, you want the best opportunity possible to raise funds on the day.
Kerrie, Kim, Denise & Pam

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My mother was Dawn by name and Dawn by nature. She shone every day and had an amazing ability to turn our world into a brighter place. Losing her this year was the single most devastating thing to happen in my life.

I am 37, an only child, and fortunate to have always enjoyed a wonderful relationship with my parents. The three of us have done everything together, including working in the marketing and creative agency that I started in 2000.

Mum was a remarkably selfless person. She saw the good in everyone and everything, giving her love freely and openly. Mum battled rheumatoid arthritis for over 50 years and to also be diagnosed with cancer was doubly harsh, but she remained resolutely strong.

Because Mum never really liked my beard, and certainly wouldn’t as long as it is now, it’s a gesture to her and to honour the way she approached life that I’ve decided to shave it off and fundraise for cancer research. Even before Mum knew she was ill, I had thought about fundraising but didn’t act on it. My advice now to anyone, who wants to fundraise, is to stop just thinking about it and get started! You will be amazed by the support you’ll receive from people when you put it out there.

My fundraising goal is $10,000, and I’m working hard to achieve that amount – and more – for the researchers determined to find the answer to cancer. While my Mum initially contracted breast cancer, she passed away from secondary cancer to the liver. Finding the answers to one type of cancer will help to unlock the key to another. It’s vitally important to continue supporting research into this horrible disease so that a cure will be discovered.

There are a lot of people who can’t wait to see my beard of three years gone, or who are just curious about what my chin looks like these days! Even those who don’t want me to shave it off totally understand the cause and support me because they know how special Mum will always be for me.

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Original story written by Talia Paz for Jeweller Magazine

Two Queensland jewellers have completed the Sydney Running Festival in an effort to raise money for the Australian Cancer Research Foundation (ACRF) and pay tribute to a sales representative who passed away earlier this year.

House of Harvey jewellery store owners, Alannah and Bob Harvey, participated in the running event on Sunday 17 September and have so far raised $2,750 for ACRF in 2017.

The Ingham-based retailer has supported the cancer research foundation for many years; however, Alannah said the 2017 fundraising efforts were in honour of Mike Griese, a sales rep for Ikecho Pearls, Jewellery Centre, Imajpack and AM Imports who lost his battle with cancer in March.

“We have always supported cancer research; having lost family, and with a team member’s survival from cervical cancer, it is the best ‘fit’ for our store,” Alannah explained.

“After Mike Griese lost his battle, we felt compelled in 2017 to honour him, another life cut too short,” she added.

Alannah said the Sydney Running Festival was an ideal way to generate industry support for the retailer’s charity efforts and increase customer relationships.

“It’s a high-profile event with many spectators and national media coverage, and therefore is a great platform for ACRF to create awareness, recruit participants for vital funding for cancer research and showcase achievements,” she explained.

“It also gives us a fundraising platform for our clients – who support us each and every year – to regularly see just how a little effort can achieve great results.”

Industry support

Alannah said her store’s ACRF fundraising initiatives would continue through to Christmas, noting that several suppliers including the Jewellery Centre and Adina Watches had also supported the business’ efforts.

She stated that there were additional industry benefits to promoting charitable causes.

“We believe today perhaps more than ever, the public seeks businesses that have a social conscience,” Alannah explained.

“The opportunities are there for all of us in retail to contribute to society by simply being a little creative every time we run a promotion, and it is our philosophy that most of the public appreciate that a business is constantly working to assist ‘something’; they feel apart of it, and they get a bonus in return.”

ACRF was established in 1984 and aims to end cancer by providing scientists with the equipment required to improve prevention, diagnosis and treatment.

Founded in 2001, the Sydney Running Festival is conducted by non-profit organisation Athletics Australia.

The event supports numerous national-based charities and has raised more than $16.9 million since its inception.

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Hello, my name is Ben. I am 13, attend McKinnon Secondary College, like hanging out with my friends, watching classic films – my favourite is No Country for Old Men – and listening to music.

I also had my Bar Mitzvah celebration this year, which is quite an important occasion. It’s traditional for family members and friends attending the ceremony to give gifts, and I ended up receiving a generous amount of money. At first I really couldn’t think of what to do with all of it. Sure, I could have bought some expensive clothes and other stuff which I probably don’t need, but then I got to thinking about one of my favourite musicians, George Harrison, who died of cancer. That’s when I decided to make a donation towards cancer research.

I read somewhere that 8.2 million people die of cancer related deaths each year, and like everyone, I want to see that number at zero. I know that ACRF is funding cancer research and researchers are getting closer every day to finding the cure for many cancers, so my donation will hopefully help make that happen a little faster.

To anyone thinking of fundraising or making a donation to cancer research, I have to say, 100% you should do it. If you can donate to research, you are pretty much closer to helping save people’s lives.

I admit to being completely obsessed with my hair – it’s my crown and a huge expression of my personality. I also love unicorns and unicorn coloured things, which explains why my hair is dyed in ever-changing bright colours. Despite the hair fascination, I decided to shave it off when a really close friend of mine was recently diagnosed with brain cancer and started chemotherapy. If she was going to lose her hair during treatments, mine could go as well. I didn’t want her going through the experience alone.

I was apprehensive about my decision but any doubts vanished after one of my lovely work colleagues shared her hair loss experience while receiving cancer treatment. She was on a weekend away with her husband for his birthday when all of her hair fell out. I could only imagine how confronting and distressing that would have been for her. While I can choose to lose my hair, and when, she couldn’t.

Like so many others, my family and friends have been affected by cancer; we’ve lost one of my aunties and my Noona to cancer and my best friend’s mother and sister have both died of cancer. Fundraising for ACRF and cancer research is my way of giving back to a community that dedicates so much time and effort into finding a cure for all forms of this horrible disease.

I have been really thrilled by the big-hearted support and encouragement received from my co-workers, local businesses, ACRF, and my family and friends. Since starting my fundraising page, I have received several generous donations, including from people who have never met me. And, retailer Peter Alexander sent a plush stuffed unicorn for my unicorn themed party on the night of the big shave – just one week before my 26th birthday.

The world needs more doers. I’m really stoked that I’m making a difference and hopefully taking ACRF one step closer to finding an end to all cancers.

Honestly, I have never been interested in running a marathon but after the recent loss of two very special people, I wanted to do something to raise money for cancer research.

My god-daughter Jessica passed away at age four last year, after months of treatment for neuroblastoma. My Grandad Graham also died, and very suddenly, with lung cancer being a contributing factor. Both of them lived in the UK, which was my home before moving to Australia three years ago to take a job in the banking industry.

The impact of cancer is huge. I see how my friend Nicki struggles every day, having lost her daughter, and my own family was shattered by the death of my Grandad.

I cherish memories of Jessica and it’s sad to know that Aunty Sammie, as she called me, will never be able to build the relationship I really wanted to have with my only god-daughter.

My grandfather and I were very close and there are so many wonderful memories of times we spent together. He was a very patient man which was undoubtedly tested while teaching me how to drive a car, and he was an enthusiastic football fan, convincing me to support his favourite association club.

When thinking about the many options for fundraising, nothing stood out that would challenge me to push out of my comfort zone. At the same time, I also wanted to highlight the importance of on-going fundraising for cancer research. One of my work colleagues suggested running in a marathon – a suggestion that I entertained for about five minutes before dismissing it as too hard. It took me about a week to come to the conclusion that any pain that I would encounter in distance running would only be a shadow to what Jessica felt on a daily basis while trying to beat cancer.

I started off unable to run 5 km and now my longest distance has been 35 km. It’s thrilling to come so far in so little time.

I chose to support ACRF at the Blackmores running festival after learning that ACRF have a panel of medical advisors that ensure funding is provided to the most promising research initiatives. Those researchers need funding to work out the combined clues that will eventually end this disease.

I am probably a bit addicted to running now. It’s not just the mental and physical challenges, it also really shows how much you want to raise money to support this cause. Memories of Jessica and my Grandad will be with me every running step of the big race on 17 September.

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Sarcoma claims the lives of two in five people with this cancer. Hope lies in research, which will aim to significantly increase the prospects of survival for adolescents and young adults.

Eighteen-year-old Cooper, will leave the Sydney Grammar School gates for one final time on Friday 1 September 2017, but not as an HSC student with his life ahead of him, but instead, surrounded by many family and friends, who are left broken hearted at his passing. He lost a protracted battle with osteosarcoma on Thursday, 24 August 2017, in the arms of his loving family, and life will never be the same for those left devastated by his passing.

As were Cooper’s wishes, his family, Mitchell, Colin and Tania will continue the meaningful work of their son Cooper, through the Cooper Rice-Brading Foundation, for sarcoma research. Cooper identified the need for critical research for this cancer, very early in his treatment regime. He spent the past eighteen months passionately telling his story, in order to raise awareness and funding, so other adolescents did not have to suffer his plight.

In lieu of floral tributes, the family have asked if you may consider donating to the Australian Cancer Research Fund (ACRF), to facilitate the critical research required to prevent another adolescent needlessly losing their life to sarcoma.

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My name is Zoë and I’m writing to you because I believe in a world without cancer is possible. But it will not be possible without your help.

To me, actions speak volumes. There are times when cancer can make us feel powerless, but I’ve chosen to take action.

I wanted to share my story with you, because like me, I know that you want to see an end to all cancers. In December 2013, my father Ron was diagnosed with Burkitt lymphoma. I don’t remember a lot about the moment we found out, except that I was with my parents in the oncologist’s office and he told us it was rare. When you stop and think, you realise not a single person goes through life without being impacted by cancer – either through a friend, family member or by experiencing it themselves.

So I am asking you to please help me fund the technology researchers need to stop this suffering.

My dad did everything he could to beat his cancer over the next three years. It was hard work and he had set backs – including a heart failure, multiple infections and countless trips to the ER. And to his dismay, his golf game got much worse. But the treatment was working and his tumour went from 119mm to nothing. We had been celebrating a year of remission for my dad when I got married in July 2016. He was in good spirits.

But we all know that with cancer things change quickly and without notice.

The day after my wedding, dad told me he had relapsed. The cancer was in a new spot and it was aggressive. He had known for two weeks – in fact he found out on my birthday. My father loved his family so much so that when faced with heartbreaking news that required unrelenting support towards him, he buried it, gave me away, delivered a beautiful speech and danced and mingled the night away. When he told me, I cried. I sobbed actually. It turns out you can never feel comfortable about defeating cancer. It is a beast and it’s not polite about when or where it will occur. It is the worst house guest and it is never, ever invited. Once I finished crying, my thoughts went to my parents who had to stump up and do this again. My dad had good days, bad days and damn ugly days. There were days when he wanted to eat super foods, drink super drinks and exercise. And there were days when he just wanted to hide, when he was angry and absolutely deflated, when no one could say anything to make it better. He lived as best he could, inside hospital walls and even with a drip attached to him.

My mother (pictured above with my dad and their granddaughter) had one of the hardest jobs of any of us. They had been married for 48 years, they were best friends. But you cannot deny that cancer changes a relationship; they became comrades, standing side by side every day.

What I would love is for us, as a community, to remember that everyday there are people and families around us who are struggling with this.

Cancer changes the way people interact with you. It makes people uncomfortable – cancer patients look different and they look unwell. Friends can go missing for a period of time too. When times are hardest, it is the patient in the middle of it with their family, and a small handful of friends, who stand on the edges for support. Sometimes you don’t know what support you need, sometimes you just need someone to hold you up.

In September 2016, my father died. It is hard. There is no amount of time between dad’s death that will make it easier or less present for me.

That person has gone and naturally there is a huge hole in my life. I will always miss him. Every memory of my dad is clearer than it was when he was alive. Everything that I knew he loved is even more present in my days. There is no getting over it, there is simply taking steps forward knowing I have his spirit with me. I think we need to support each other in this community in whatever way we can. Together we can make life better for those who are living with cancer.

If you feel like I do, and you want to make sure that no one else has to experience the pain and heartache of cancer in the future, join me to give Australia’s best researchers the tools they need to end cancer.

The sum of what you give doesn’t matter, what matters is the sum of people who give. Together we can change the future. We can create a world without cancer.

This year I decided to support a charity as part of my 65th birthday celebration. This was a heartfelt decision as I’ve survived breast cancer and my partner Terry saw his wife die of cancer 23 years ago. The birthday party was Terry’s idea and gift to me.

I love life and celebrate every day. Retirement is not for me, yet. After many years of working in adult educational management, I currently run my own consultancy business doing small projects mainly for health department agencies. Family time is also a priority – there is my partner, my two grown sons and my 2-year old grandson. I am also a passionate amateur photographer and express my creativity through this art form as often as possible.

Invitations to the celebration included the request of no presents please. Having all that I need in life, it seemed appropriate and timely to ask people to make a donation to cancer research rather than bring me presents. The request didn’t particularly surprise my family, as I’ve done overseas mission work in the past which included raising money for the mission. I knew about ACRF and its efforts in cancer research from another friend, whose wife died last year, and donations in lieu of flowers were requested then.

The theme colours used for the party were purple and orange with silver and our large outdoor area was decorated in these colours with balloons, lanterns and anything else we could find. At the party entrance there was a large purple box decorated with the silver ACRF ribbons and donation envelopes. Nearly everyone who made a donation has been affected by cancer.

It is sad how many families are dealing with this horrible disease. One of my dear friends died of breast cancer in 2014, there is my own experience and that of my partner. There are undoubtedly many cancer not-for-profit organisations deserving our support but the most important thing to me is that better methods of prevention, detection and treatment are found for the many cancers affecting us and that is the goal of ACRF through continued research.

To anyone thinking about supporting cancer research, I would say, why hesitate – just do it! Give someone a chance to live, help put an end to all cancers.

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“My name is Judith, but I am Judy to family and friends and any new acquaintances. If asked to describe myself, I would say 71 years young, an optimist, pacifist, wife, mother of two, grandmother of four, and a friend to many.

In 2013 I decided to open my home and fundraise for cancer research, because I felt, and continue to feel today, that I should do something to help end this dreadful disease. Over the years, cancer has taken the lives of so many people that I love, and currently, four of my friends are receiving cancer treatments. I also had bladder cancer in 2014, but all has been well with check-ups since the operation.

Getting ready for a fundraiser is hard work and while my husband John thinks I’m a bit crazy for doing it, he does support me in every way. I also have friends who wouldn’t undertake a similar event themselves, but they are more than willing to lend a hand each year. Believe me, they are always a tremendous help!

My home is small compared to many others, but we manage to cram a lot of people in each year (from 20 to 41). There is always coffee and cake, or sometimes soup and sandwiches, for everyone who drops by. In addition to the table of gift items for purchase which I make, there is an auction of donated items, a guessing competition, a coin toss, and plenty of lively conversation. We are sometimes a bit short on space, but no one complains and we do have a lot of fun. Every person who was at my first fundraiser has attended all of my others. It is quite a thrill to have raised over $10,000 for cancer research since 2013. 

I plan to go on supporting ACRF and their cancer research efforts for as long as possible. If we stop raising funds for research, cancer wins. We can’t allow that to happen!

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Throughout the months of May and June, ACRF was lucky enough to have the Department of Human Services (DHS) support us as their national 2017 DHS Games charity.

On Monday 3 July, Clare Halloran from the Social Work Services Branch – a former cancer patient with Hodgkin’s lymphoma had the chance to see things

from the other side of the fence. Clare donned a lab coat during a visit to The ACRF Department of Cancer Biology and Therapeutics at the Australian National University’s The John Curtin School of Medical Research. Joined by colleague, Jackie Paul, as well as Tamara Shaw and Stephanie Luck from the communications team, Clare got the low-down on the latest research into cancer detection.

Led by Professor Ross Hannan, Centenary Chair of Cancer Research and Head of the ACRF Department of Cancer Biology and Therapeutics at the ANU, the private tour was coordinated by ACRF’s Priscilla Leong.

“What better way to learn about ACRF and the research we fund than by entering the home of top ANU scientists?” said Priscilla.

“The tour gives participants a behind-the-scenes look into discovery-based research and the development of new compounds, drugs and diagnostic approaches for cancer treatment.”

The emphasis of the School’s research is on an understanding of the fundamental principles of human life processes and the pathologies of these processes which cause human disease.

Leading cancer researcher Professor Hannan and his team at the ANU received a $2 million grant from ACRF in December 2015. The grant was used to establish the ACRF Department of Cancer Biology and Therapeutics which features a one-of-a-kind drug screening facility, commissioned to identify new combinations of the 4,500 FDA-approved drugs that can lead to new treatments and potential cures for cancer patients. As it can take 10 years and $1.2 billion to get a new drug approved, using pre-approved drugs is a much more cost-effective, ready-made and safe option.

At the conclusion of the tour, Professor Hannan praised the work undertaken in the labs.

“The work they do could not be underestimated, we are currently expanding the department with new cancer researchers and our current goal is to raise $10 million by next year,” he said.
Clare was equally effusive.

”The lab was spectacular and it was great to see research being done in the heart of the city I call home,: she said. “Of particular interest to me was getting to look through a microscope at 20-year-old Leukemia cancer cells that were donated for research studies.

“I feel very privileged; not many people get the opportunity to see the great research and equipment inside a medical research lab! I was blown away by the enthusiasm, dedication and expertise on display today. It gives me a great deal of hope for the future.”

We’d like to send out a big thanks to DHS and all their staff who supported us through the months of May and June. Through their efforts ACRF raised just over $19,000. But to keep labs like these funded—so hope can be turned into reality— ACRF continues to rely on the generosity of others.

It’s important to mention that when you donate to ACRF, your money works a couple of ways. Not only does it go towards grants to help fund vital work, it act as leverage for places like The John Curtin School of Medical Research to attract additional grants from other entities. So in effect, your donation keeps on giving.

Workplace Giving Program — the way you can continue to support ACRF

If you haven’t donated so far—or would like to send some more money our way — why not donate regularly, or as a one-off, via the Workplace Giving Program? All donations received are processed as pre-tax deductions and donations over $2 are tax deductible. Every dollar counts, so it’s worth doing.

Learn more about workplace giving Share your story

“From a young age I enjoyed all sports with touch football and athletics being my favourites, and someday I would like to work in the health and fitness industry. Now at age 22, and after two knee reconstructions, I feel ready to participate in a big event like City2Surf. To be honest, I am not too sure what urged me to register this year other than telling myself to do it now or probably I never would. I absolutely love my family and friends and have learned in the past few years that life is definitely too short, and we don’t know what is around the corner.

Although I am running for every person, family member or friend affected by cancer, there are three people in particular that I’ll be thinking of all along the way. There is my father, Michael Collins, who was diagnosed with Stage 1 prostate cancer in 2016, and he continues to have scans and tests; my brother-in-law, Jacob McCormick who had a benign brain tumour removed in 2016 at age 17; and Sharon McCormick, my partner’s beautiful mother, who died of cancer in 2014.

With no warning signs other than a horrible pain in her lower back, Sharon was diagnosed with cancer and then passed away four months later, just one day away from achieving her 46th birthday. The emptiness of not having Sharon in our lives is undeniably still there, and not a day goes by without thinking of her.  She was a beautiful soul and everything about her was infectious: the smile, the laugh (or snort!), the down-to-earth loving nature. Sharon was a true friend and an amazing person that I will treasure for the rest of my life.

I don’t think any of us can truly understand the pain of loss that comes with cancer until it affects you or your loved ones. Participating in City2Surf and fundraising for cancer research is my way of honouring all of my family, past and present, who have been affected by cancer.

After registering for this year’s race, I needed to decide on one cancer foundation to support. The choices seemed overwhelming but I ended up selecting the ACRF because it is the foundation that funds research on all types of cancers.

My advice to anyone else who is thinking of fundraising would be: honestly, just go for it! Whether you are sponsoring a friend or an organisation or running in the event itself, you are helping get one step closer to ending cancer, which in turn will save lives.

Every cent raised for cancer research counts. Without fundraising, we have no research and without research, there will be no breakthroughs. Together we can fund the technology and equipment that researchers need to continue progress towards ending all cancers.”

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“I am 28 years old, passionate about new challenges, and will soon take on the City2Surf running in a Lion Dance Costume! My participation in this year’s race is to honour the memory of my late Kung Fu Sifu (Grandmaster), Randy Sullivan Bennett, who passed away earlier this year from mantle cell lymphoma.

Randy was an enthusiastic martial arts teacher, a mentor, and my friend. Although I only knew him for four years, he made a huge impact on my life, my outlook, and of course my Kung Fu training. Towards the end of 2016, I successfully completed black belt testing with Randy pushing me hard, overseeing all the grading and most of my sparring sessions. He did my black belt presentation, and I made a promise to keep on training and make Grandmaster proud!

The greatest appeal of doing a fundraising activity is to be able to help people and improve things. The City2Surf is a big event, and it is a good opportunity for me to raise as much money as possible for cancer research and ACRF. It’s also where I can show respect to Randy in a meaningful way.

Sadly, cancer affects so many people with seemingly no regard to health, happiness or diet. Even Randy was not immune: he was a vegetarian, incredibly fit, good-humoured and with a positive view on life. Cancer makes me feel like there is so much we don’t know about the world and so much we can’t control, even with our own bodies. I believe that continued research is the only way forward in achieving an end to cancer, which is why I chose to raise funds for ACRF.

We can all help out with encouraging more funding for cancer research and increase awareness of how that research is resulting in more successful treatments. Ultimately, we all want to see cancer completely eliminated!” – ACRF supporter, William Bond

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Loyal supporter, Mrs Ann Smith, is proud to be connected with ACRF and hopes that together we can put an end to the devastating effects of cancer.

I met my John in 1974 at our workplace in London. Relationships between staff were discouraged in those days so we kept it a secret until I left the company. We were both madly in love and we knew that we were meant to be together. We got married in 1975 because we couldn’t wait to start our life together.

We had an incredible holiday in Australia and we loved it so much we decided to migrate here in 1980. We found a beautiful family home where we lived happily for 36 years. We quickly made wonderful friends which I am happy to say I still have today.

John liked to stay busy and was a book-lover, so when he retired, he wrote three. He also volunteered in the book room at Lifeline, helping to cull, sort and price the books. He even organised the famous Northern Beaches Book Fairs. We travelled extensively – and celebrated our Ruby wedding anniversary by candlelit dinner at Uluru.

In 1993 I lost my dear twin sister, Rosemary, to breast cancer and it was heart-breaking, especially as she lived back in the UK. We got to share some special time together just before she died. Sadly, she left behind a husband and four small children.

When John was diagnosed with cancer in 2012, I was devastated. I couldn’t bear the thought that he would experience what Rosemary had to. John was very courageous and was determined to go through treatment. Thanks to cancer research, there were various therapies that gave us more time, but unfortunately, they couldn’t cure him. He never complained and was always positive.

In December 2016, John passed away and it is still very hard to grasp he is gone.

John left me a great legacy. He was a fabulous organiser and was famous for his Excel spreadsheets. Before he got too sick, he bought us a beautiful new home that is much smaller and suits me perfectly. When we moved in, we would sit together on the patio drinking our morning coffee, sharing the crossword. It gives me great happiness to carry on this tradition each day, although I no longer get John’s helpful clues and have to tackle the crossword alone.

John was my soulmate and my best friend. He was a true gentleman, an awesome father, grandfather, brother and a loyal friend to all. A friend of ours once called him the Rolls Royce of husbands and I couldn’t agree more.

I am very happy to help end cancer through ACRF. At John’s funeral, we arranged donations in lieu of flowers. I also donate each month via direct debit, and with my daughters’ full support I have left a gift to ACRF in my Will.” – ACRF Supporter, Ann

A world without cancer could be the legacy you leave behind to your loved ones. When you leave a gift in your will to Australian Cancer Research Foundation, you provide some of the greatest minds in the world with the vital tools they need to uncover new ways to treat and prevent over 200 types of cancer. 

Learn more about leaving a gift  Share your story

“I love picking out gifts for friends but there is nothing more special than the gift of giving, which is why Tom and I chose to support a charity on our wedding day.

It was a personal decision to select Australian Cancer Research Foundation (ACRF). We chose this charity because my mum is alive today thanks to progress in cancer research and they are an organisation that has helped seed fund a number of great advances, such as the cervical cancer vaccine.

Mum was diagnosed with breast cancer back in 2012 but luckily they caught it early and were able to treat it. Even though her cancer has been removed, I know the experience impacted Mum deeply. The realisation of what could have killed her has left its own scar. I feel so lucky that Mum is still with us today.

Our families and friends all thought it was a great idea to support cancer research with donations on our wedding day. And why not? You can spend time making homemade jam or some other craft to serve as table favours. However, most of the time they are behind or they guests just never eat them. The more we can educate people about the importance of continued cancer research, the better.” – ACRF supporters Maddie and Tom

Know a couple like Tom and Maddie?

With many modern couples accumulating their household goods before they tie the knot, wedding donations are becoming increasingly popular.

The bride and groom to be can request donations in place of traditional gifts. Or replace favours or bonbonniere the same way. All funds received by ACRF in celebration will help fund new and better treatments for cancer. Click here to learn more.

ACRF supporter, Rachel is tackling 200kms this June to fundraise for ACRF – with two small kids, this is no minor task! She is supporting cancer research in memory of her mum who passed away from cancer last year.

“I decided to take on #imovebeCAUSE and fundraise for cancer research in memory of my beautiful mum. She lived with myeloma for 10 years and passed away just before Christmas last year after being in the hospital for three long months. She is my reason! I want to fundraise through this great initiative so I can help others in her situation.

My mother was my best friend and my mentor. She was the bravest, strongest and most positive woman I have ever met. We had a very close relationship and I miss her every day.

Unfortunately, cancer has impacted me and my family a lot. Both my aunt and my mum passed away from cancer. And now my father in law currently has lymphoma. Family means everything to me, and cancer has taken away too many amazing people from us.

This is why cancer research is so close to my heart. It’s critical that we help put an end to all cancers. It’s a horrible disease that takes away way too many beautiful people and breaks people’s spirit. I hope that one day the world will be free of this awful disease, thanks to the amazing researchers who are working to make new discoveries and developments all the time.

I chose to fundraise for ACRF because I know that many new treatments and positive medical developments are made possible by wonderful ACRF supporters. ACRF is focused on trying to end all cancers. It’s important to me that all cancers are researched, not only the common and well-known cancers.

I would encourage others thinking about getting involved with the #imovebeCAUSE initiative to support cancer research because every donation counts. Big or small – it is making a difference and helping lifesaving research progress. Please support those who work so hard to try and better the lives of those who are living with cancer.

I’m so grateful for all the work ACRF does. It was heartbreaking seeing mum suffer, but one day in the future, thanks to cancer research fewer people will have to suffer.” – ACRF Supporter, Rachel

Sign up today to join Rachel and get moving in June to support research into all cancers.

Support Rachel Sign up now

The Kempsey Cancerians are the longest running Cancerian fundraising committee in the country and over the past 30 years, they have raised nearly $1 million to support Australian cancer research projects.

On May 20, the group hosted their 30th ‘Pearl Anniversary’ gala fundraising dinner. More than 280 people attended the dinner which was held at the Kempsey Macleay RSL and included raffles (including the very popular pearl box balloon raffle), a very entertaining auction, fantastic live music and wonderful meals by Chef Lloyd Newell.

The night was a great success and saw the committee raise over $24,000 for the Australian Cancer Research Foundation.

We would like to extend our thanks to all the committee members who helped organise this incredible event. Thank you also to the Kempsey Community for their support over the past 30 years – you are amazing.

We would also like to recognise some of the original sponsors who were there on the night – Peter and Lorraine Hadlow of Blyth and Hadlow; Paul and Lesley Cooney of Winsome Real Estate; Paul and Jan Stubbs of Sheridan & Stubbs; Patrick Sheridan; Jim and Chris Shaw of Hot n Tasty; John Scott of John Scott Promotions; Jenny Preston of GIO; David and Helen Parker; Sandra Walsh of Larry’s Pharmacy.

Our profound thanks to original Kempsey Cancerians Committee members who were also there on the evening – Helen Campbell, Brian Irvine, Darrell Crilley and original members who are still on the committee – Alison Mavin, Kay Irvine, Helen and Max Packwood for their decades of hard work and dedicated support of cancer research.

We look forward to seeing what amazing research breakthroughs will be made possible, thanks to the generosity of the people of Kempsey.

To view photos from the night visit the Kempsey Cancerian’s Facebook page here.

“Each year I try to give some of my time to a great cause. Last year, I volunteered as a buddy at a camp that helps kids affected by cancer. It aims to take children’s minds off of the hospitals and treatments. While I was spending time with these families, I thought a lot about what it would be like to put an end to the suffering that cancer causes. It motivated me to continue my yearly ritual so no more families would have to go through this ever again.

That same year I witnessed a wave of cancer diagnoses. Sadly, a work colleague of mine and several family friends passed away. While I consider myself lucky to have had none of my immediate family diagnosed with cancer, it seems to be happening all around me. My husband’s already lost an aunt to breast cancer and another one of his aunts was recently diagnosed.

I’m shocked by the sheer number of people affected by cancer. I feel we should all do what we can to help eradicate or at least control the effects of this disease. I believe better prevention and treatments will only come about through research which is what led me to Australian Cancer Research Foundation (ACRF).

When I went searching for more information about funding cancer research discoveries I came across ACRF. I discovered that they’re a charity that supports research into all cancers and they help fund projects across Australia. After speaking with a staff member, I decided to support their efforts with my own fundraising event. I decided to donate my waist-long hair and help raise funds for Australian Cancer Research Foundation. My hair hasn’t been short since I was five years old so I was quite nervous about it.

Throughout the fundraising process, the love and support from family, friends and colleagues was amazing.

I also found that fundraising provided an opportunity for people to start a dialogue about personal experiences relating to cancer. A family friend is now looking into how she can help her daughter cut and donate her hair just like I did.

Learning how to style my new short hair is challenging but with the help of YouTube tutorials, I’m getting there. I’m actually really enjoying the change. I’ve discovered that a shower cap stays on so much better without a kilo of hair under it!” – ACRF supporter, Shanuki

“For my 20th birthday, I just wanted an easy-going, simple celebration where I could spend time catching up with friends. I also wanted to use the occasion to help bring an end to cancer.

I think it’s important that we each take the time to think about how lucky we really are, and how we can each do our part to help others. I thought long and hard about how I could do something special and make a difference. I decided I would ask for donations to ACRF in lieu of gifts.

Once I chose to support cancer research as part of my birthday celebration, I spread the word weeks before the party about donations in lieu of gifts and reminded everyone quite often (which may have been annoying, but it was effective).

At my party, I had a donation station set up where people could look at ACRF pamphlets, grab a ribbon and put their contribution into a box. The support I received from everyone exceeded expectation. My friends all loved the idea and were keen to make a donation.

My family has experienced losing a loved one to cancer. My grandfather passed away from cancer when I was about 11 years old. At that age, everything seems like a blur and I didn’t fully understand what was happening when he was sick. Naively, I believed everything was going to be fine and things would soon go back to being normal. It was when he was admitted to the intensive care unit that the seriousness of his illness really hit me, and it was frightening.

I remember telling my mum that I didn’t want to see Granddad because I didn’t want to remember him like that. The hopelessness that I felt at the time was overwhelming.

Cancer is a devastating disease and until we end it together, we will continue to worry for our family, friends and ourselves. I want to help reduce this anxiety and fear by helping researchers find better methods of prevention, detection and treatment of all cancers.

I wanted to raise money for ACRF to help fund the equipment researchers to speed up discoveries. To all of those who support cancer research, you are doing a fantastic thing, together we’ll bring an to end cancer, and I think you will be so proud that you helped make it happen.” – ACRF supporter, Alycia

“My name is Celine and my husband’s name is Khoi and we recently got married. We had a beautiful ceremony at Mosman’s Sacred Heart Church, followed by the perfect waterfront reception on Middle Harbour – it was a wonderful day.

I first met Khoi when I was on my university placement, training to become a sonographer. We struck up a friendship which continued on well past my placement. We had been together for about seven years when Khoi proposed. It was on April Fool’s day – if you knew him you would understand that he would choose that day of all days! It was a huge surprise to me and I didn’t believe him.

We had been together for about seven years when Khoi proposed. It was on April Fool’s day – if you knew him you would understand that he would choose that day of all days! It was a huge surprise to me and I didn’t believe him.

When it came time to plan our wedding we went to a wedding expo and came across a booth set up by ACRF. I had never thought about asking for cancer research donations at our wedding. But after talking with the ACRF staff and learning about how donations help fund cancer research equipment, we felt it was important for us to contribute and it just made sense to make it part of our special day.

With both of us working in the medical imaging field, we meet many people with cancer. Sadly, cancer has also affected my own family. Not only have both of my grandmothers and one grandfather died from cancer, my remaining grandfather has recently overcome prostate cancer.

Our family and friends thought it was a great idea that we were supporting cancer research with donations to ACRF.

In the midst of wedding planning, it’s so easy to spend money on trivial things and lose sight of what is really important, but a contribution to research or charity will go such a long way.” – ACRF supporter, Celine

Learn about wedding donations Share your story

“Cancer is not just something that happens in a galaxy far, far away. Early last year, my eight-year-old nephew was diagnosed with Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis (LCH), a rare form of cancer that affects young children. As he bravely goes through treatment for this disease, I wanted to do something on his behalf.

I often like to joke and say that my nephew is more like me than his own mother, who is my older sister. Like me, he has a love of Star Wars, superheroes and video games and has even built a basic video game himself. My nephew has been having chemotherapy for a year now and the disease is currently in remission.

Previous to my nephew’s diagnosis, no one close to our family had been affected by cancer. It was a reality check that cancer can happen to anyone. We are lucky that my nephew’s form of cancer is treatable and with a high survival rate. ACRF does a great deal of research into LCH and other childhood cancers and is one of the reasons my nephew is doing so well today.

When I decided to fundraise for the Australian Cancer Research Foundation, it was an easy decision to combine two of my favourite things: Stars Wars and selfies.

A group of nerdy volunteers and myself, dressed up as characters from the Star Wars Universe and set up a photo-booth at Wollongong Central on March 12.

For a donation, face painting, props and knick-knacks were available for anyone to dress up and snap photos with some out-of-this-galaxy characters. Twi’lek, Jedi and Droids joined forces with us to raise awareness and money for much-needed cancer research. The public response was fantastic, and we reached our fundraising goal.

The researchers, doctors, nurses and medical staff who help patients living with cancer every day are truly special. They inspire me to continue fundraising for cancer research. Together we can defeat this dark disease so more children can see the stars. May the cure be with us!” – ACRF supporter, Lyss

To organise an awesome event of your own you can visit our A-Z fundraising ideas page. 

Prue is a long-time runner, training for the Australian Running Festival in Canberra and raising funds for cancer research.

“Although I have been running for about eight years now, I haven’t done a half marathon in three years – it’s been quite hard work getting my fitness back after the birth of my daughter 14 months ago. When my cross-fit coach asked me in January to set a goal, I decided it was time to take on another 21km + challenge.

I also want to use the event to fundraise for cancer research because a dear and very close friend of our family passed suddenly in 2014. It shocked us all how cruel this disease is, and how it can claim another victim in such a short time.

My friend, Sharon, was only 46, a cherished daughter, loved wife, big sister, true friend and a mother to three beautiful boys. She is truly missed every day and in so many ways.

Too many people suffer and die because of cancer. I would like to see that stop and also ensure my children do not have to lose friends and family to such an awful disease, like we have.

I would like to see a future without cancer, but if cancer continues to be diagnosed, then it wouldn’t be a death sentence and treatments could be less devastating.

If anyone reading this is thinking about fundraising or donating, I would say to them, “Don’t hesitate, because every cent counts.”

If you would like to support Prue, you can learn more on her everyday hero page.

Jane describes herself as a fairly active person with a passion for cross-country skiing and swimming. The Cole Classic is a favourite event for Jane, and this year she did the 2km swim to fundraise for cancer research in memory of her mother.

“I swim regularly – always have and love it. The regular aquatic fix keeps me healthy and sane. My two gorgeous daughters, Kate and Meg, think I am nuts to be sharing water with, and being on the menu, for sharks. Peter, my husband, is more of a runner and cyclist than a swimmer but does occasionally join me in an ocean swim.

I particularly like the vibe of the Cole Classic from Manly Beach. It is a swim that attracts lots of newbies who have never participated in an ocean swim. I grew up swimming in a pool and the Murray River and had to learn how to swim in the ocean. Anyone new to ocean swims is to be admired. They are putting themselves way out of their comfort zone, and way away from the safety of the shore! If they are also doing their bit by fundraising, that’s really commendable.

I am always reminded of cancer research whenever I think about the surgeon’s comment to my mother 38 years ago. Not long after she was diagnosed with cancer, the surgeon – a bloke with a fairly dry sense of humour – said, “Well Ann, they will have a cure for this in five years, a pity you will not be around to benefit”. That was 1978 and regrettably, neither cure, nor complete prevention, has been found.

My mother was 49 when she was diagnosed and given only three months to live. Being an incredibly determined person, Mum lived for another twelve months. Today chemotherapy is not much fun but in the 1970s the treatment was harsher. With no chance of survival, Mum chose not to subject herself (or us) to treatment. She helped my brother celebrate his 21st birthday and me, my 18th in fine fashion. I am convinced her focus was to hang around as long as possible to equip us to be capable, strong and resilient after she was no longer with us.

Not having Mum around for the last 38 years hasn’t been a picnic, but I am sure she would be proud of how we have coped and what we have achieved.

The lasting impact for me of my mother’s experience is how she behaved: her strength, her grace and calm while suffering, her focus on the positive, her ability to retain a sense of humour. These behaviours not only help you, they help others. Of course, her leaving us has been particularly tough. As too many others who have experienced loss know, every significant and happy event in your life – weddings, children being born – is tinged with a bit of grey.

An experience like this can lead you to dismal places, but focusing on the positive as my mother did has kept my life mostly bright.

I believe in what the ACRF are doing for cancer research in Australia. The ACRF fundraising team has been spectacular in their support and encouragement and certainly emboldened me to actually ask people to donate!” ACRF supporter, Jane

Having lost both family members and close friends to cancer, Wayne Irwin is doing his bit to raise money for cancer research by organising a bike ride in November.

“I was inspired to take action when my brother Dale died from cancer last year because I lost one of my sisters to cancer a few years ago as well. Dale was not only my brother and best mate, he was and still is the finest bloke I have ever known.

He battled cancer for three years and his death affected me very badly. Although my wife, children, grandchildren and friends were all emotionally supportive, I found myself in a dark place and alienating myself from everyone. I desperately needed to redirect my anger toward something else.

Putting all my energy into organising this cancer research bike ride, which I’m calling ‘Beat the Bastard’, is the best thing I could have done. For years, I’ve been an avid motorcyclist so it seemed natural to invite others who share the riding passion to join in. It will be a great way to meet other people including anyone who has lost family and friends to cancer. It also gives people fighting the disease an opportunity to hop on their bikes, knowing that we are supporting them.

The 400-kilometre route includes Gunnedah, Narrabri, Wee Waa and Pilliga. I included Pilliga in the ride route because that’s where I grew up. Pilliga is pretty close to my heart, and my brother’s heart.

I’ve been using contacts in Gunnedah, including my sister Robyn, to get the word out about the ride. A couple of Gunnedah businesses have been absolutely awesome and I’m grateful for the kind-heartedness of people who are offering to help. The campaign is also generating a lot of interest in Brisbane and Sydney through social media. There are people I don’t know and they’re responding about the bike ride – my goal is to get at least 80 participants. The cost for the day is $50 with funds to go towards food and the Australian Cancer Research Foundation.

I honestly believe there’s going to be better treatments found for cancer, and it will happen here in Australia. ACRF has been alongside me in this fundraising effort. They’ve been exceptional in helping me out and giving me some great ideas for organising the ride.

The impact of cancer on my family has been devastating, but ironically the resolve to beat this horrible disease has brought us closer together.” – ACRF supporter, Wayne Irwin

‘Beat the Bastard’ participants will stop in Pilliga for lunch and finish up in Gunnedah for dinner. An auction and raffle will be conducted during the evening with some great prizes available.

For those who can’t take part in the ride, but would like to support it, click here.

“Hi everyone, I’m Ivy. I’m 10 years old, and enjoy horse riding, playing with my friends, board games, basketball and being with my family. I shaved my head for cancer research in memory of my grandmother’s best friend – Granny Jenny.

Granny Jenny was like a second grandmother to me. She died last year of cancer, and it was very sad for all of us who knew and loved her. She was kind and always supportive about everything we did or wanted to do.

Deciding to do the head shave is a funny story. I was camping at a river with some friends and we’d been swimming in the river every day. My hair is really long and it was getting more and more knotted from being wet so much. When I finally took it out of the braid it was in, it was like a big tangled birds nest. At that moment, I got the idea to shave my head. Two girls in the year above me shaved their heads last year for cancer research and I’ve always thought it would be a really cool thing to do.

Lots of people asked me if I was nervous about losing my long hair but I wasn’t, I just wanted the day to hurry up! Now that it’s all shaved off, I’m also going to donate it to be made into a wig for a patient who has lost their hair from cancer treatment.

Cancer is a terrible thing. It puts people in a lot of pain. It would be really scary to have cancer and know you could die and never see your family again. I like that Australian Cancer Research Foundation is helping to find better treatments for people with cancer by giving scientists equipment and I want to support them. It’s exciting that I raised over $4500.00 for cancer research and I want to thank all the generous people who have donated.” – ACRF Supporter, Ivy Bartlett

To support Ivy, you can make a donation on her page here.

“My name is Kate Narracott. I’m 55 years old and work full time as a Travel Agent. In April 2017, I’m walking 500,000 steps across Spain, travelling along the ‘Camino de Santiago’ also known as the ‘Way of St James’.

This journey began as a means to honour a youthful promise my older brother, Mike, and I made to each other to one day share an amazing adventure together.

Our destination was unimportant, our expectations were never defined but our determination to one day have our moment in time never wavered. Sadly my brother passed away 27 years ago from cancer and I lost a man who was not only my best friend and confidante – he was my hero and my champion.

Michael was 36 years old when he died. He loved life and lived each and every day with humour, style and vitality. We were very different people, both strong in completely opposite ways but those differences cemented our respect and love for each other. When we were together, laughter filled our world. I would give anything to hear his laugh just once more.

Watching somebody you love slowly slip away from you piece by piece every day is devastating. He and I made a decision to try not to cry on the days we shared. Instead, we laughed and told stories and jokes. We ventured out when his days were good and curled up on the days that were dark. When you share this with somebody you love – the moments that matter become very clear and you realise that the little things that may have bothered you once are no longer important.

In the last few days of his life, our world became very small and each moment we had was very intense. On the day of his death, I sat on his hospital bed with him cuddled into my lap. His young body had become a skeleton and his breathing was shallow and rattly – but I held him and talked to him until he passed away quietly in my arms.

We have all been touched by the sadness of cancer, it is around us each and every day. I have lost too many family members to this disease and am watching now as more struggle to overcome and survive cancer. I am in awe of their bravery, their daily fight and their enduring hopefulness for the future.

I wanted to support cancer research by walking El Camino de Santiago because the funds we raise today might help to save the lives of my own children if cancer was to affect them in the future. For that alone, I would walk across every country. Cancer research is vital to one day making life easier for those who struggle with cancer.

So to my brother Mike, our big adventure has finally begun. My hiking boots, bamboo socks, backpack and walking poles are ready and waiting. All that remains now is for me to get whipped back into shape, and believe me I am trying. I have been training for several months, walking around 80-90 kilometres per week. I have wonderful walking buddies who are keeping me motivated. Many kilometres are walked every day, even on days when I would rather sit back with a good book and just let the world go by.

On my trip I’ll be walking 450 kilometres or approximately 500,000 steps across Spain. The walk itself will take just over 3 weeks. The journey will have many challenges, both physically and emotionally. There will be moments of great joy and peace and I am sure moments when I will be so fatigued that I will want to give up – but I won’t. I am walking with a dear friend named Karen who also lost her brother, Anthony to cancer. Both of our brothers will have birthdays while we are on the Camino de Santiago.

This walk is far more than just my own personal journey, I would like to dedicate these small steps of mine to the loved ones that I have lost to cancer and especially to my friends and family who right now bravely fight their daily battles with this disease. You are all the true heroes – your immense courage, dignity, laughter and hopefulness inspire me.

I am a person who started with a dream to raise a small amount of money for cancer research. That dream has turned into a reality and I am well on my way to reaching my goal of $10,000. I have found the support, generosity and enthusiasm of others overwhelming and emotional. To say I am appreciative of the people who are behind me is not nearly enough.

I must thank with all my heart the members of the Rotary Club of Redcliffe Sunrise. I am moved and deeply grateful for all that they do for me. They’ve walked many kilometres with me in training, they’ve helped me sell raffle tickets, they’ve contributed financially to the cause and they’ve fed and watered me when I am too tired to do it myself. Most importantly they are my friends. They have wrapped their arms around me and given unconditional support and encouragement to the crazy idea that I would walk across a country to raise money for cancer research. I am humbled by their kindness and so very proud to call them my friends.

Well, Big Brother, it has taken 27 years of waiting, but the day is nearly here. We’re finally getting our moment and our adventure.

Please join me in making each step count, together we can increase awareness about the power of cancer research and raise much-needed funds. If you would like to donate to cancer research visit my Everyday Hero page here.”

Organise an event Donate Share your story

In 1984, ACRF’s founders, Sir Peter Abeles and Lady Sonia McMahon, identified a gap in scientific funding and set about trying to fill that gap. They did this by raising funds to provide large grants for cancer research equipment, technology and infrastructure in the most efficient manner possible.

Today, Australian Cancer Research Foundation are proud to receive the registered charity tick from the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC). A stamp that is reflective of the standards to which ACRF proudly holds itself to.

The charity tick initiative has been developed to give reassurance to donors that a charity is transparent and accountable by highlighting its presence on the ACNC Charity Register.

The ACNC aims to improve public understanding of the work of charities and the not-for-profit sector. As part of this work, they make available the information collected annually from the 54 000 charities operating in Australia.

As well as the Charity Register being a regulatory tool, ACNC also analyses the information and conducts research to learn more about the charitable sector and how charities contribute to the community. They publish their findings in an in-depth analysis of the financial situation of Australia’s charity sector, called the Australian Charities Report. Read the Australian Charities Report and explore the data.

ACRF has awarded $129.2 million in 65 cancer research grants to 36 research institutes, universities and hospitals across Australia. Thanks to our supporters, these grants make a real impact by providing researchers across Australia access to state of the art technology to speed up research outcomes and save lives by saving time.

If you would like to read more about ACRF and the impact it has had on cancer research over the past three decades click here.

The Australian Cancer Research Foundation would like to congratulate James Service AM on his appointment as a Member of the Order of Australia.

James is a loyal supporter of ACRF through his work with the Canberra Cancerians. The Canberra Cancerians Committee is renowned as being one of the most successful fundraising groups for cancer research in Australia and enjoys a reputation of staging glamorous and much sought after events on the Canberra social calendar.

Since their formation in 1987, the Canberra Cancerians have raised $4.02 million for ACRF through balls, gala dinners and other activities such as golf events. The Australian Cancer Research Foundation is very grateful for the efforts of this incredible group of volunteer fundraisers.

James Service has been an integral part of this committee’s success. During the 15 years that he served on the committee $1.77 million was contributed to cancer research and a further $1.97 million has been raised in the past 8 years that James has been Committee President.

This magnificent effort has been due to the leadership and commitment provided by James supported by his outstanding committee. ACRF would like to extend our thanks to James for his contribution and support to our Foundation and congratulate him on this very honourable achievement.

“In 2015 my good friend Neil Kilgour passed away from cancer. Neil was a brilliant and generous person who encouraged, inspired and invested in people who he felt were talented.

Although he didn’t play an instrument himself, he was the centre point of a large group of musical friends. He loved music and had a vast collection of ’78s, principally folk music, jazz, and those genres, but he liked everything.

Every Tuesday night, up to 30 or 40 people would visit Neil and Leslie’s house to share a love of guitars. In one room there were guys playing classical guitar and in another room, there would be guys playing bluegrass… it took over the whole house. There were fiddles, banjos, mandolins and even concertinas, button accordions.

People would teach each other technical skills and Neil would also repair instruments. In the final stages of Neil’s illness, we would visit him and play music for him. These gatherings continued until his death. In 2014, prior to his diagnosis, I began building a guitar to present to Neil in gratitude for everything he had done for me.

Sadly the guitar was to be completed after Neil’s passing, but Neil and I devised a plan to keep the music playing and to raise funds for cancer research.

It was his wish that its use could generate funds for the ACRF. We hatched a plot that the guitar should be used by musicians for recording purpose – and that it should not sit in a box somewhere.

We fulfilled his wish by recording an album called ‘Neil’s Guitar’ featuring eight well-known Newcastle musicians – including Bruce Mathiske, Ian Milroy, Peter Smith, Christopher Cady, Steve Cowley, Kent Daniel and Peter Allsop.

On the album, eight different people are playing ‘Neil’s Guitar’ and the interesting thing is how different it sounds in the hands of each person, you would think they were different guitars.

The CD was launched with a special concert at Adamstown Arts in November. All proceeds from the concert and CD sales went to the Australian Cancer Research Foundation.

Special thanks to Christopher Cady for organising the recordings and Peter Allsop for planning the launch and for both of their ongoing commitment to this. The effort everyone has put in has been overwhelming and it’s turned a crazy idea into a real thing which is really inspiring.” – Jeff Mallia

Known as “The People’s Pianist” and one of Australia’s most passionate and hard-working musicians, Ambre Hammond has performed both solo and with orchestras throughout Switzerland, England, Italy, Spain, Poland, North and South America, New Zealand and China.

And we are so grateful that Ambre so graciously gives her time to perform at special ACRF events too. She has also donated funds to cancer research from the sale of her CD’s.

Ambre’s fifth album Akasha will be released in two weeks. She says the new album consists of 12 compositions, the style of which stems from her background in classical, but is also influenced by her great love of jazz. This album is a journey of beauty that is intended to uplift and inspire.

We spoke to Ambre about what inspired her to support cancer research.

“I’m a proud Aussie, a concert pianist, composer, full-time single mother, producer and public speaker.

My composition career began in 2011 when after the loss of a friend to cancer, which happened very suddenly. The only way I could deal with the grief was to write music. I felt some sense of peace in honouring them with a piece of beautiful music that would ensure her memory remained.

It is important to support cancer research because all of us are susceptible to being struck unexpectedly with cancer. It should be everyone’s duty and interest to help find better treatments and ultimately permanent eradication of all cancers.

I support ACRF because their work is truly extraordinary. They are an Australian charity that seeks to support researchers working to end all cancers. The $120 million+ in grants already made to research facilities has made a significant difference and will continue to do so.

I’d encourage everyone to support cancer research. You feel such a sense of joy in knowing your contribution can be so significant. Even if it means buying one less coffee a week!

I will continue to support ACRF through my music for as long as I can, and I’m excited to hear of new scientific breakthroughs and development.”

Thank you Ambre, we are so grateful for your support. If you would like to find out more information about Ambre’s new album, click here.

“My name is Iain Chisholm. Over the last few months, I’ve been truly inspired and heartened (though not surprised) as I watched my community back home in the North East of England band together and support one of our own, Kieran Wrightson, as he goes through one of the toughest experiences of his life.

Kieran is a talented footballer and FA Vase winner from my hometown. He is a 25-year-old father of one, about to get married.

Earlier this year his world was turned upside down when he found a lump in one of his testicles. His doctors delivered the devastating news that it was cancerous and that it would have to be removed.

In an interview, Kieran said ‘it came completely out of the blue – I don’t drink, I don’t smoke, I’m a young fit lad who plays football. The doctors made it clear that I had a good deal. I’d caught it early and testicular cancer is one of the easiest to treat. I had it removed on May 2, which was also my birthday.’

Myself and my fellow expats in Brisbane have been touched by Kieran’s situation, particularly as we are mostly young(ish) footballers enjoying life and earning an honest living for ourselves and our loved ones. Naturally, it didn’t take much effort in getting the ‘Brisbane family’ on board to show some support.

With Kieran’s blessing, I was delighted to get my friends together and arrange a fundraiser to support cancer research in his name.

This past Saturday, we challenged ourselves to set off in the early morning on a self-guided group hike and rock climb (9km/4hours) to the summit (1.2km high) of Mount Warning for a spectacular Australian sunrise.

This was followed by a late afternoon charity football match at Bayside United which saw my team the ‘Geordie XI’ which I captain, take on ‘Mackem XI’ captained by my fellow event organiser, Ben Ryan.

We raised just over $1,000 which will be split between the Australian Cancer Research Foundation and Saras Hope based in the United Kingdom. The UK charity was selected by Kieran and our good friend Alan Dalgarno. While our Australian charity was selected by me and endorsed by Kieran unequivocally.

We’re proud to raise funds for cancer research in Kieran’s name. If you’d like to join us in supporting these two charities you can donate to our page here. #ClimbForCancer #KickAboutForKieran.” – ACRF supporter, Iain Chisholm

Thank you to Iain for supporting cancer research. If you’ve been inspired by Iain, the charity fundraising options are endless! Click here to view our A-Z of charity fundraising ideas.

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“My name is Alex Lombardo. I’m currently a Senior Analyst at Deloitte. My mum, Carmel, and I have been supporters of the Australian Cancer Research Foundation for some time.

After catching up with their CEO, Professor Ian Brown, I gained an even greater understanding of exactly how ACRF grants work to help researchers find better ways of detecting, preventing and treating all cancers. I was inspired to assist, so my mum and I hosted a high tea for cancer research in memory of my grandfather, Consolato Federico, who passed away from cancer last year.

My grandfather was one of the most amazing and giving people you could ever meet. I hope I can one day be half the man he was. He was a very important part of our lives. We always lived close to him so his positive and inspirational influence was always around us.

It had a huge impact on our family when he was diagnosed with cancer. It was extremely difficult to watch him – someone I perceived to be a superhero – go through so much pain.

My mum and I had always wanted to host a fundraising event like this because we thought it was a great way to honour my grandfather. It was important to raise money but we also wanted to increase awareness of the impact of supporting cancer research in Australia. In the end, the high tea raised $8,335.00. Thank you to our friends and family who attended on the day and to the fantastic sponsorship we received from a number of local businesses.

It is my hope that one day, instead of having to treat cancer, we will be in a situation where we can prevent most cancers from happening in the first place. I want to help prevent everybody’s loved ones from enduring unnecessary pain.

I hope that others join me in supporting cancer research, the more people, the better our impact will be!” – ACRF supporter, Alex Lombardo

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“My son, Craig, was a fit 27-year-old swim coach when he was diagnosed with a rare type of brain cancer. He had just become a husband and a father when we found out we were going to lose him.

Craig, first met his wife when they were both junior swim coaches. You could really see Craig’s passion shine through when he was coaching. He was so dedicated to his students, he loved helping them succeed.

We had all been on holiday with family in Tasmania when he realised something wasn’t right. As soon as we returned, he sought medical help.

I went in to see him first after the results came in and he broke down with the news that he had cancer. We were both devastated. He tried to hide the seriousness of his diagnosis from me, or perhaps he didn’t know.

Craig had just become a husband and a father. His son was only 10 months old. It was hard to believe this was all happening.

The astrocytoma was found at the base of his spine and because of its location, doctors feared surgical removal would cause him to become a paraplegic so they treated it with radiation therapy.

The therapy appeared to be successful in reducing the size of the tumour and he was sent home, but in less than two months he started to experience severe headaches.

At first, the doctors thought the headaches were just a side effect of the radiation treatment but then they did a spinal tap. From this, they discovered fragments of the tumour had travelled through the fluid in the spinal column and attached themselves to his brain.

It was around Christmas time when they were ready to start further radiation treatment and we were told he would not survive. In his final week having lost his sight and the use of his arms and legs, he was still able to joke with his friends who kept him company through his final days.

His willpower kept him alive until all his friends and family said goodbye and then he quietly slipped away whilst his young wife slept in the chair beside him.

Craig died just six months after the initial diagnosis. I was touched to see so many of his students at his funeral, it made me proud of the man he’d become. I can see so much of him in his son.”

– ACRF Supporter, Diana

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“Like most families, mine too has been touched by cancer. I lost my brother-in-law when he was just 49 years old to cancer and recently lost my mother to it as well.

My mother was a very strong person. I admired how she lived her life and faced cancer. In December 1993, she was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma. It was very aggressive so it required treatment with both chemotherapy and radiation. A doctor at the time asked her how she thought she would handle the treatment. She replied: “You don’t know what you are made of until you face something like this but I’ll give it my best shot”, and that she did.

After some setbacks, she went into remission two years later. But as many who have experienced cancer in their life know all too well, it doesn’t stop there. It means that you are now on the ‘cancer merry-go-round’ of endless check-ups, blood tests and trips to various doctors and oncologists. She did this for the next 22 years and during these years she enjoyed life to the fullest and felt very blessed.

The aggressive treatment came at a cost though and in more recent years she began to suffer the long-term effects of radiation treatment.

The diagnosis of oesophageal cancer in February 2015 was devastating but she faced it with hope and determination. Twenty radiation treatments and other surgeries were to follow. A further diagnosis in early September revealed that cancer had spread and she made the very difficult decision to not continue with treatment. She had indeed given it her best shot but sadly passed away on 15 September 2015.

From palliative care, during her final days, she began to plan her funeral – hymns, flowers and of course donations to the Australian Cancer Research Foundation (ACRF) which she had supported for many years in memory of my brother-in-law. Like many others, she wanted to help end cancer.

I am extremely grateful we had an extra 22 years with my mother. I am grateful she got to see her five children grow into adults and spend time with her nine grandchildren. I am grateful she got to see the arrival of three of her great-grandchildren. But what I would be most grateful for is a cure and that’s why I support cancer research in Australia with regular monthly donations to ACRF. They are an Australian charity that focuses on funding research with the best possible outcomes for patients.”  Regular Giver of the Month, Margaret Bible.

We would like to thank Margaret for her ongoing support of cancer research. Regular charity donations provide a stable and supportive future for Australia’s best cancer researchers. We are incredibly grateful for her support.

Learn more about becoming a regular giver.

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“Since a young age, I have believed in making a difference and leaving my mark on the world. While I am a teacher by trade I also indulge in my love for tea, homeware and anything floral through my side business, Amity Created. To marry my two passions, I decided to host a tea to raise funds for Australian charity.

In the past few years, I have noticed an increase in those around me being touched by cancer. A lot of my close friends and family have been affected by this disease in one way or another. My grandparents and my close friend’s relatives have all been struck in the past few years with different types of cancer. While I can’t speak on their behalf, I think it’s safe to say that the diagnosis really changed their lives.

My Nonna (grandmother) is in the midst of a long battle with cancer and unfortunately is not able to have much treatment. When she was first diagnosed I made it my main interest to align myself with the Australian Cancer Research Foundation and start raising much-needed funds.

In the spirit of Amity Created, I decided to host a beautiful fundraising event called ‘Tea is for Tomorrow’. It’s a garden tea party where attendees can expect to meet fabulous new people, indulge in delicious treats and of course drink some amazing tea. They’ll even walk away with some goodies. All this, whilst supporting the best cancer research in Australia.

I believe that without the support of the wider community, cancer research would simply not continue. It is important we band together to make sure that cancer researchers can develop effective new ways to prevent, detect and treat cancers for us and the next generation.

To me, there is nothing more gut-wrenching than hearing the news that a loved one has been affected by such an illness. Personally, it made me reflect on moments with my family – past and present. I knew I had to do something to help make a difference and ensure that future generations will not be affected in such a devastating way.

I encourage people to research the efforts of the ACRF and to acknowledge their hard work. While I was doing my research into Australian charities that support cancer research, I found ACRF and felt that their supporter’s contribution to treatments and preventions had been enormous. I wanted to be a part of that because I believe that together we can help researchers make further treatments available so fewer lives will be lost to cancer. To others thinking about supporting cancer research I would tell them to absolutely go for it! If you are not able to attend fundraisers, there are so many creative and fun ways to raise money with those around you.” ACRF supporter, Daniella Libri

Thank you to Daniella for hosting such an exciting event for cancer research. Tea is for Tomorrow was on Saturday 27 August at 1:00 PM in Wetherill Park, NSW.

When Matt Cools from Canberra approached the Australian Cancer Research Foundation to do a fundraising event, everyone here in the ACRF office was really excited because Matt had amazing hair.

He had been growing his dreadlocks for over ten years – his longest dread measured over 80cm! We couldn’t wait to see the “after” photos from the head shave event that Matt, and his wonderful wife Mel, organised last month.

Matt answered some of our questions about his event and what it was like to brave the shave:

Has anyone close to you ever been touched by cancer?
Yes, I have had close family members affected by breast cancer, stomach cancer and small intestine cancer.

Why did you want to do a head shave as part of your fundraiser?
It just seemed like the right time to cut my dreadlocks, and I was happy to do it for a good cause. But I have my wedding photos with the dreads, so that’s pretty cool.

Can you tell us about the day of the shave? 
I was feeling nervous before the shave, but I was looking forward to seeing all my friends and family that were coming along. We had about 70 people there and it was great catching up with everyone! After the auction winners had cut my dreads off it felt weird running my hands through my hair! I can now feel a breeze on the back of my head!

Why did you decide to support cancer research?
I wanted to help researchers find a cure and better options for early diagnosis.

What would you say to someone thinking about fundraising for cancer research?
It’s not that hard – all I had to do was cut off my hair! I would suggest that you make sure you have someone to help you organise the event so it isn’t too overwhelming. I would like to thank my wife, Mel, for organising the head shave event for me.

ACRF supporters love to brave the shave as a symbolic gesture of hope and solidarity for people with cancer. If you’re interested in fundraising for cancer research by shaving, cutting or colouring your hair, sign up here to give cancer the chop once and for all.

ACRF supporters, Jemma Read and her Aunty, Sarah Wiese have just completed the Bibbulmun track to raise money for cancer research in Australia.

In an incredible feat of endurance, commitment and focus, the women covered 1003 kilometres in just 26 days by running 25 back to back marathons. Each day they ran an average of 45km over 6-8 hours. They went up mountains, over bush terrain, and across beaches, often in unforgiving weather conditions.

“Sarah and I have a lot of things in common, but the two main things here are that we are both absolutely nuts and that we both have friends and family that have died from, or are currently fighting breast cancer,” said Jemma.

“I have wanted to run along the Bibbulmun track for a long time, so Jemma and I decided to do this together and at the same time raise some funds for an Australian charity that is focused on cancer research.

We knew it would be quite an undertaking, not only for us but also for our families and friends supporting us and coping without us while we ran. Thank you to all of those people who have helped us out. We have been incredibly lucky that we had an absolutely fabulous crew willing to back us up. They’ve helped feed us, move our gear along the track and set up camp for us every night with a lovely roasting fire to dry out by.

I felt really great during the run; it was a fairly simple routine of good food, plenty of exercise and early nights – a luxury not always easy to find in our normally busy lives.

We have come away really appreciating what a fantastic state Western Australia is to live in. We travelled through one beautiful and diverse national park after another, all linked together by the incredible, well maintained Bibbulmun Track.

Almost without discussion, we had both decided we wanted to support the Australian Cancer Research Foundation (ACRF) because they are an Australian charity that supports cancer research into all cancers including breast cancer. For me, breast cancer is a young woman‘s disease, it’s what I’m seeing a lot of my peers suffering from whilst they’re in their prime, and they’re in the middle of raising children and building careers. It’s a very difficult time to deal with that sort of thing. And both Jemma and I have got a couple of really close family fighting it at the moment.

Thank you to everyone who supported our journey in so many ways. Thank you to our amazing support crews who looked after us so well, and to those who gave us encouragement along the way – you helped make our journey even more enjoyable and memorable. We are overwhelmed by everyone’s generous donations and are so proud to have raised over $10K for cancer research in Australia,” said Sarah.

ACRF is amazed by the effort that Jemma and Sarah put towards completing this challenge. The money they raised will help provide the best researchers in the country with the tools they need to do lifesaving cancer research.

To learn more about these inspiring women and their trip, watch the great clip below. You can also donate to their fundraising page here.

ACRF supporter, Romina Di Sauro is using her passion for dance to raise funds for cancer research.

“I have many years of experience in performing and teaching. I love teaching dance because I am able to express myself and share my knowledge. I’ve been running Romina’s Dance, where we teach all ages from 2-Adults, for 25 years.

To celebrate our anniversary, we’re putting on our very own junior production of Disney’s High School Musical, starring Lukas Wildrok from Justice Crew.

It will be a fantastic show – we’ve got an amazing cast of young talent. We held auditions and more than 100 kids turned up, but only 26 could be selected.

This production was my way of giving our students an opportunity to perform whilst supporting vital cancer research.

All proceeds raised from the show will be donated to the Australian Cancer Research Foundation. Cancer is a health issue close to my heart after I lost my sister cancer last year.

My sister, Daniela (pictured) was only 37 years of age when she was diagnosed with stage 4 stomach cancer. She only managed to live for 4 months after her diagnosis and left behind two young children.

It’s been extremely hard on our family. We lost her so quickly, at such a young age – it’s devastated all of us.

Whilst organising this production fundraiser, I have felt like my sister is close to me and it has helped to ease the pain a little.

There was nothing that could be done for my sister, but I hope that by supporting cancer research, I can help researchers find better methods of detection, prevention, and treatment that will help others in the future.

The High School Musical JR Production is being held at the National Theatre in Melbourne on 24 July 2016 at 2pm.” – ACRF Supporter, Romina Di Sauro