Finley should be tickled pink – its gym-based fundraiser Pink Up for Breast Cancer has raised a whopping $6186 (and counting).
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And that’s on top of the $3759 the town has on its National Breast Cancer Foundation online page.
So with almost $10,000 in the bank, Finley is more than punching above its weight for this vital support service.
As is event organiser Wendy Daniel, who is recovering from breast cancer herself after being diagnosed on September 5 last year.
With some excellent support from Sarah, Yasmin and Georgia at Finley Community Gym, who hosted and supported this event, Wendy organised all the prizes and sponsors for the evening.
“We were overwhelmed by the number of people who attended the night, it all absolutely exceeded our expectations,” Wendy says.
“This fundraiser not only helped to raise awareness, and much needed funds for breast cancer, I hope it also promoted healthy living and wellbeing by bringing people together as a community,” she says.
“I am not sure where we will go with this in the future – last year we did something different, my daughter Daisy was doing a 5km walk every day through November as part of a National Breast Cancer Foundation fundraiser, as I was undergoing chemo and surgery at that time.
“But the response to this year has been amazing so I will have to think about what we might do next.”
The evening included a barbecue, drinks, raffles, a silent auction, prizes, music and even a kids’ challenge for 12 years and under, and a push up challenge for those aged 13-18.
Wendy says there was “a sea of pink outside the gym” to help cheer and clap Charlie Ford and Zye Treadway who had run the 21km from Tocumwal to Finley in support of their own family and friends who have been touched by cancer.
“This was a brilliant display of community, everyone turned out to support the boys, who both played footy for Finley this year, as they ran up the street,” she says.
“It was the effort and enthusiasm of people like that which have helped make this such a success,” Wendy added.
“And none of it would have been this successful without all the sponsors who so generously supported the night, and donated food, drinks and raffle prizes.
“Your incredibly kind contributions ensured the whole night was such a huge success.”
Wendy also thanked Anne Freestone for attending and taking “so many wonderful photos” covering every aspect of the night.
And the fundraising doesn’t stop there.
Donations can still be made in support of the 57 Australians diagnosed every day with breast cancer, money is urgently needed for research and more treatment options.
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