Creating cancer awareness in Queensland

(By Britt Ditterich and Samantha Drysdale - Bond University Journalism students)

TWO Gold Coast City Council employees have taken on a challenge to raise cancer prevention awareness for the Queensland Cancer Council.

Entrants in the 2009 Nurse of the Year and Challenge for Cancer campaigns are challenged to inform and educate their communities about early detection and prevention of cancer.

Nurse of the Year entrant Maggie Brown said she had participated in the challenge for the last 10 years.  “It is a good platform for raising awareness about cancer ... and what the Queensland Cancer Council has to offer,” she said.

Last year Ms Brown won the regional Nurse of the Year and raised the most money for her area.  “It’s not always about money, but it’s about bringing people together [and] also the education you can impart on people,” she said.

Challenge for Cancer entrant Bianca Jennings said she was passionate about donating to charities.  “There is people less fortunate than I and if we can give back to the community and others then why not?” She said.  “It’s not just money [I donate] but it’s my time that I give to the cancer council.”

Mrs Jennings said she could not put an exact figure on the amount of time she had spent organising fundraising events.

Together with Ms Brown, on Saturday Mrs Jennings organised a Girls High Tea event at the Lake Cafe in Varsity Lakes.  “To put an event like the Girls High Tea together I had to take a day off work to get things finalised,” she said.

Mrs Jennings and Ms Brown said anyone wishing to donate to the Queensland Cancer Council should go to the website, www.cancerqld.org.au.

The Nurse of the Year and Challenge for Cancer awards will be announced on November 21 at the Queensland Cancer Council Ball in Brisbane.