David Bradbury (Lindsay, Australian Labor Party, Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Every day more than 30 women discover that they have breast cancer and begin the gruelling journey through treatment. Out of the 13,600 women who are diagnosed with breast cancer each year, almost 3,000 will tragically lose their lives. In support of and to assist those women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer and are facing the challenge of dealing with that diagnosis, for the last three years I have been, through my electorate office, organising a series of Pink Ribbon morning teas. This year, being the third year, we held morning teas over the last two Fridays, one at the St Marys RSL and the other at the Penrith Panthers Leagues Club. I would like to take the opportunity to thank both of those organisations for their generous support in hosting these events free of charge and donating the morning tea, which was on offer for more than 200 local residents collectively. When we look at the funds that have been raised over the last three years through this initiative, we have now reached the $10,000 mark. I am pleased to say that this year we raised $4,662. At St Mary’s we raised $2,157.20, and at Penrith, $2,505.

There are many people that I wish to take this opportunity to thank for their support of this event. I would like to acknowledge our guest speaker, Julie Ackroyd, an ambassador for the National Breast Cancer Foundation. All of the proceeds of course of these events over the last three years have gone to the National Breast Cancer Foundation. Apart from having our speaker, Julie Ackroyd, give us some background on her very inspirational story, we also heard from representatives of the Nepean Valley Zonta Club, Lyn Sepatouc, and Lilly Cowen, who are involved in an initiative that provides free breast care cushions to ladies that are going through mastectomies.

I would also like to thank those who donated prizes to the event. In particular I would like to thank Krystyna and Kristy Whitbread, Barbara Plummer, Irene Brown, Vicky Griffith, Veronica Fleeton and Oban King. These women have spent many hours working on many of the goods that were offered up for raffle and with their efforts we were able to raise some funds through this process.

I would also like to thank those sponsors: Vicary’s Winery; Priceline Pharmacy, Penrith; Morgan’s Hand-Crafted Coffee; the Heritage Terrace Cafe; the Caring Hearts Community Quilters; Penrith Valley Providore; Gloria Jean’s, St Marys; and all of the other sponsors that have contributed to helping us raise these funds that will go to the National Breast Cancer Foundation to assist with further education and research to prevent and treat breast cancer and to assist those women in particular who will face this challenge into the future.