Helping make Mother’s Day mean more
On Sunday 12 May, more than 720 people from across the Port Macquarie-Hastings area got together to celebrate Mother’s Day with a difference and paint the town pink.
They were joined by almost 100,000 people nationally who participated in their local Mother’s Day Classic, fundraising for breast cancer research.
Proudly supporting the Mother’s Day Classic
The Westport Club has been the proud major partner of the Port Macquarie Mother’s Day Classic since 2017, helping to raise awareness of and fundraise for breast cancer research.
Held annually on Mother’s Day, the Port Macquarie event which includes a 5km Run and 5km Walk has been growing in awareness and participation year-on-year, with this year’s event being their most successful yet. View this year’s events photos here.
The Volunteer group behind the Mother’s Day Classic in Port Macquarie include local community members, several of whom have themselves been diagnosed with breast cancer.
Fundraising for breast cancer research
The event is all about fundraising for breast cancer research. In particular it is the main fundraiser for the National Breast Cancer Foundation’s research projects into prevention, early detection, treatment and cure for breast cancer. They support a goal of zero deaths from breast cancer by 2030
One in 7 Australian women diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime. That equates to 53 women being diagnosed every single day in Australia. And, breast cancer is on the rise.
According to Cancer NSW Statistics, the incidence rate and the mortality rates for breast cancer along the Mid North Coast are higher than the national average. So The Westport Club’s support of the event, raising awareness of breast cancer in the local area, and the importance of early detection is vitally important.
Support for cancer patients in Port Macquarie
In addition to raising funds for breast cancer research, the Port Macquarie Mother’s Day Classic host a raft of fundraising activities which also contribute to the local Mid North Coast Cancer Institute at Port Macquarie Base Hospital – supporting all cancers.
In 2017, the funds raised were used for the rejuvenation of the entrance gardens at the cancer clinic – providing a tranquil entrance setting for patients and their families.
The funds raised from the 2018 event were used to purchase over 40 cancer-related books for the cancer clinic’s patient library – to support patients and their family members.
Event organisers are now working with representatives of the Mid North Coast Cancer Institute to assess how to best use the funds raised from this year’s event. They’ll be sharing more information about this in the coming months.
Making a significant contribution to our community
The Westport Club is a keen supporter of the local community in which we operate. Our contributions – through our Club Grants program and other community sponsorships and partnerships, have long-term impacts that support the future for the region and those who live in it.
In addition to supporting the annual Mother’s Day Classic in Port Macquarie, we also support the annual Pink High Tea at The Westport Club which is held in conjunction with Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Our vision to make a significant contribution to the quality of community life underpins everything we do. That’s why we’re proud to support the Port Macquarie Mother’s Day Classic and other initiatives in our community.
Breast Cancer Statistics and the Mid North Coast
- 1 in 7 Australian women and 1 in 675 Australian men will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime.
- 53 women are diagnosed with breast cancer every day in Australia.
- 8 Australian women die every day from breast cancer.
- Since the National Breast Cancer Foundation (NBCF) started in 1994, survival rates from breast cancer have increased from 76% to 91% – a result of increased awareness, early detection and improved treatment options.
- The NBCF has a target of zero deaths from breast cancer by 2030.
- 2019 marked the 22nd year of the Mother’s Day Classic, and the 5th year specifically in Port Macquarie.
- The Westport Club has been the major event partner of the Port Macquarie Mother’s Day Classic since 2017.
- The Mother’s Day Classic has donated more than $35.3 million to the National Breast Cancer Foundation since 1998.
- Since 1998, more than 1.27 million walkers and runners have participated in the Mother’s Day Classic.
- Cancer NSW Statistics show that Mid North Coast/Macquarie-Hastings area has both an incidence rate of 1.03 and mortality rate of 1.17 from breast cancer – higher than the national average.