House debates

Wednesday, 22 October 2014

Constituency Statements

Macquarie Electorate: 24 Hour Fight Against Cancer

9:44 am

Photo of Russell MathesonRussell Matheson (Macarthur, Liberal Party) Share this | | Hansard source

I rise today to congratulate the organisers of and participants in the 24 Hour Fight Against Cancer Macarthur on their remarkable efforts at last Saturday's walkathon. The 24 Hour Fight Against Cancer is an annual home-grown Macarthur movement that raises funds to support the treatment, care and comfort of children and adults dealing with cancer. Each year hundreds of Macarthur residents descend on the Campbelltown Stadium to walk laps for 24 hours. However, there is much more to the event than just walking. It is jam-packed full of activities that raise funds, support cancer patients, acknowledge carers, remember loved ones and raise cancer awareness.

This year a group of dedicated dawn-breaking walkers, led by Mark Wallington, began walking at 5:30 in the morning from Camden Palliative Unit to the stadium, to raise additional money for the cause. Local Macarthur residents Ken and Liz Stonestreet officially kicked off the event at the stadium. The Stonestreets are a married couple. They have participated in and helped to organise the walkathon. Both have suffered from cancer—breast cancer, to be precise. Liz defeated breast cancer six years ago, and whilst there is only a one-in-1,258 chance of men getting breast cancer, Ken Stonestreet was told in August this year that he had the illness. Ken's touching opening ceremony speech sent a powerful message that breast cancer affects men as well as women, and it can often be very aggressive in men. So no matter if you are a man or a woman if you feel a bump get it checked.

Ken also spoke about how the funds raised by the 24 Hour Fight Against Cancer have enabled him to access high-quality treatment in Macarthur, instead of having to travel to Sydney, which has been a great deal of help to him and his wife, Liz. Every dollar raised by the event stays in Macarthur, and the funds play a vital role in providing services and equipment to the Macarthur Cancer Therapy Centre, the oncology ward and the paediatric ambulatory care unit at Campbelltown Hospital, and the palliative care unit and associated outreach service at Camden Hospital. Chairman of the event, Campbelltown Councillor Fred Borg, said that all the participants are still collecting and banking donations. Money raised at this year's event and that raised over the past 10 years is well on its way to cracking the $3 million mark.

Extraordinary fundraising efforts like this do not happen without an equally extraordinary organising team. I congratulate this year's organising committee: chairperson Councillor Fred Borg; deputy chairperson and secretary Sue McGaritty; treasurer Rebecca Purcell; teams coordinator Dave Eckford; hospital representative Dr Stephen Della-Fiorentina; and all the other 20 committee members who work hard throughout the year to pull off this amazing event. I also congratulate the 81 teams that officially registered this year, as well as the hundreds of individuals who were not in a team but turned out on the day to show their support. The Heavenly Angels and the Youngies really touched my heart. It is because of these generous organisers, sponsors and participants that the Macarthur region is very lucky to have access to world-class cancer treatment facilities staffed by talented and caring health professionals.