Charlotte Varcoe
PENOLA may not be in a sea of pink this year but the Pink Up Penola committee will still throw their support behind those who have battled cancer.
In 2019, the committee banded together with support from the Penola township throughout October, raising over $40,000 for the McGrath Foundation.
This year, the committee have set their sites on Adelaide’s Greenhill Lodge a 55-room accommodation facility which enables those battling cancer to have easy access to the central business district and the hospital.
Pink Up Penola committee member Anne-Marie Williams said this week’s fundraising event will highlight Greenhill Lodge and those in need of the facility with the committee happy to be back raising funds for those in need.
“Unfortunately there have been a lot of people within the community who utilise the services,” Ms Williams said.
“We are all very excited to host the event because we were so overwhelmed with the way the community rallied behind us in 2019, and we were eager to regroup because in reality we were just a bunch of women who got together to raise money for the McGrath Foundation.
“Now it has turned into so much more and although this fundraiser is not specifically for breast cancer awareness, it is still under our banner and is the first fundraiser we have hosted since 2019.”
Alongside the fundraiser, the BreastCancer Screening SA van has once again made its way to Penola, settling into the town yesterday (Thursday).
Ms Williams said the town was overjoyed at having the van secured for the region once again, calling on women over 40 years of age to book in now.
“This is the first time the van has been included in the rounds after we secured it two years ago for the fundraiser,” she said.
“We are hoping to fill every position available for the van because last time it was here it would have saved lives.”
Staff from the BreastScreen van will also attend the fundraiser cocktail evening for discussion and to give advice for those in need.
On the night, there will also be a fashion parade, gin tasting and prizes to be won throughout the night with all donations from the event will assist in the current upgrading of the lodge.
The fundraiser will be hosted on October 28 at The Chardonnay Lodge with tickets available online through Eventbrite.
