A cool morning at Kyabram District Health Service didn’t deter hospital staff and visitors from coming together in the courtyard for a morning tea fundraiser to tackle cancer.
Over 50 people gathered in the KDHS courtyard on Tuesday, May 21, to help KDHS staff member Shannon Miller raise money for The Kyabram Gift by purchasing a cupcake, entering themselves into a raffle, or estimating how many chocolates were in a jar.
Thirteen years ago, Shannon raised $5000 for The Kyabram Gift, a local cancer charity, and shaved her head; this year, she is looking to do it all again and beat her previous record.
This time, the cause has hit closer to home for Shannon, with her family’s recent cancer battle providing her with a deeper understanding of the illness’s broad impact.
“I work for KDHS, and I have that family connection, so I’ll be shaving my head for my family and for the charity,” Shannon said.
“It’s a good opportunity to raise that cancer awareness and the cancer services that we do deliver here in Kyabram.
“I want to raise awareness of how costly it can be to go through cancer and how The Kyabram Gift and KDHS can provide support — because I’ve now witnessed it firsthand.
“The request for assistance has increased, and more people are diagnosed with cancer than ever — so, we need the funds, and we need the support.”
The Kyabram Gift was started in 2010 to financially support individuals and their families in Kyabram who were experiencing cancer treatment.
The Kyabram Gift chair Alison Walsh estimates that the charity has raised more than $1 million over the past 14 years.
This money goes towards providing cancer patients with fuel vouchers, grocery vouchers, practical support and sometimes the costs of tests and treatment.
“There are a lot of patients who have to travel to Bendigo, to Shepparton, or even to Melbourne — so to be able to take some of the weight off their shoulders, even just by paying for their transport, can mean so much to them,” Mrs Walsh said.
“We have about 30 recipients that we help each year, and we aim to raise about $1000 for each recipient — so that’s a $30,000 total that we need to raise each year to be able to help these people.”
Mrs Walsh was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2016, experiencing just how cancer can turn a life upside down, so after conquering the illness, she decided it was her turn to help those fighting.
“I work here [KDHS] as a nurse, but I was also a recipient several years ago … so that’s where my passion comes in because I want to be able to give back now that I’m well. I’m one of the lucky ones,” she said.
Shannon will shave her head towards the end of the year, but the fundraising efforts will continue until then.
“I’m trying to do at least one event per month in order to raise money, so any support we get from the community is a massive help,” Shannon said.
At the morning tea, the team raised over $500 for The Kyabram Gift, bringing Shannon closer to her fundraising goal.
The next event to raise money for The Kyabram Gift is a trivia night at Parkland Golf Club on Friday, June 21, at 6pm.
If you would like to come along and support Shannon’s fundraising efforts, tickets are $20 per person.
Submit a team of eight to 10 people to Shannon Miller on 0408 424 078 by Friday, June 14, or contact Shannon if you have a smaller group.