More than 670 Otago volunteers will be shaking pink buckets around the region over two days to raise vital funds for breast cancer research, education and patient support in Breast Cancer Foundation NZ’s annual fundraiser.
Like all charities, Pink Ribbon was aware of the current difficult economic times but urged people to find even a small sum to give, foundation chief executive Ah-Leen Rayner said.
The aim was to save lives.
"Breast cancer still takes the lives of more than 650 New Zealanders every year but it doesn’t have to be this way.
"We know times are tough right now but even a small donation can make a big difference.
"Your support will directly fund vital programmes like our nurse advice line, a clinical trial investigating a new way to diagnose breast cancer better and our iconic Pink Campervan that travels the country educating Kiwis about breast health and early detection.
"As a charity that doesn’t receive any government funding, we rely entirely on the generosity of New Zealanders to keep these crucial programmes going.
"Please donate whatever you can to the Pink Ribbon Street Appeal to help make sure more women can live and live well after breast cancer."
Ultimately the foundation believes no-one will die of breast cancer. Breast cancer will probably still exist, but early detection and better treatment to prevent it from spreading will save lives as breast cancer rarely kills unless it spreads beyond the breast.
And if it does spread, there will be treatments and support to keep people alive for a very long time — just as now happens with HIV, diabetes and several other conditions that used to be a death sentence but which are now manageable over the long term.
The Breast Cancer Foundation’s job is to do all it can to bring that day forward. That’s where it needs your help. Thanks to people’s generous donations, it is aggressively pushing towards new frontiers in terms of early detection, treatment and support. However you become involved — hosting an event, attending a fundraiser, donating your time, money, or resources — you are helping the organisation get one step closer to zero deaths from breast cancer.
The Pink Ribbon Street Appeal collection funds are allocated to research, education and support, including counselling, rehabilitation programmes and online support.
