Kelmscott Police Officers set to scale Mt Fuji in honour of fallen friends Posted on July 28, 2015March 14, 2018 by Carly du Toit Mt. Fuji, Japan viewed from Chureito Pagoda in the autumn. This September, Western Australian Police Officers Oliver, Anita, Wendy and Tanya will be on route to Japan preparing for an experience of a lifetime. They will be hiking the country’s tallest mountain – Mount Fuji, in an effort to raise funds for cancer research and honour their fallen friends. The past two years have been difficult ones for the Kelmscott Local Police Team. They’ve had to watch two of their brothers in blue, Larry McCarthy and Gary Husain, lose their battle with cancer. “We’re a really close-knit crew and have been working together for a number of years. It was really difficult losing our friends. They were both really hard working and loyal men. They were always doing their best for our community.” Experienced hiker and Senior Sergeant, Oliver Lund, will be leading the team on their ascent. And as someone who has already successfully scaled one of the world’s most challenging summits – Mt Kilimanjaro, he will be the perfect man for the job. “We’re taking on this challenge for a number of reasons. Not only is it going to be a great team-building exercise, but it will also be a really special way to remember our friends and raise funds for a cause that has affected us so deeply. Cancer is never too far from our minds as so many families in our community are facing the disease.” They decided that Mount Fuji would be the safest for the crew of first-time hikers, but at 3776 meters above sea level, it’s still considered one of the more challenging climbs. “It’ll require quite a lot of strength and endurance. We like to keep fit as possible for work, and participate in regular police training days – but we’ve all really stepped it up in preparation for the climb.” “Depending on how the weather treats us we’re planning on setting off in the evening and planning our trek so that we will finally reach the peak at dawn. Watching the sunrise from the top will be such an amazing experience.” The team hopes to raise awareness of the ACRF Fundraising program “The more people that know about the ACRF Online Fundraising Program, the greater the impact we can have so we’re doing everything we can!” To show your support these brave officers click here. Share your story
The ACRF Cancer Imaging Facility officially opens its doors today to researchers in Western Australia Posted on July 16, 2015March 14, 2018 by Carly du Toit Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research is opening the doors today to the ACRF Cancer Imaging Facility, a state of the art imaging centre that has been outfitted with cutting edge technology to enable further breakthroughs in cancer research. The facility was funded in part by the late Mr Kevin McCusker who made a generous donation to the Australian Cancer Research Foundation through his Will. Mr McCusker was a quiet and unassuming man of strong principles who made this bequest in honour of all the people he loved and lost to cancer. As a state facility, the equipment will be made available to researchers from all over Western Australia. What this means for cancer patients is that for the first time in WA, researchers will be able to subject cancerous tumours to more intensive scrutiny, and thereby speed up the development of new therapeutic advances. “Imaging for cancer management and diagnosis in humans is fundamental. These micro-scanners will allow Perkins researchers to image cancer progression in a range of well-developed preclinical models like never before, enabling them to monitor for the first time tumour development, angiogenesis (the process through which new blood vessels form from pre-existing vessels), metastasis (or growth) and response to treatments” says Peter Leedman, Director of the Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research. Harry Perkins sees ACRF is absolutely essential in filling a gap that no other foundation fills, which is providing funds for core infrastructure. “Large cutting-edge pieces of equipment such as the ones at this new facility are remarkably difficult to get in any other way. The ACRF stands alone in this country so we are very grateful to have been able to work with them to attain this final result. It’s allowed us to take an exciting step forward in our field,” says Mr. Leedman. The Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research has received $3.6 million in grants from the ACRF which has funded technology to progress research in Leukaemia, breast, prostate, cervical, pancreatic, liver, brain, lung, colon as well as head and neck cancers.
