How 24 Hour charity makes cancer treatment journey a little easier

Right in the middle of fighting cancer, Ingleburn fire station Captain Andrew Evans found out he had kidney stones.

“I had to postpone chemotherapy treatment for the cancer to deal with the kidney stones,’’ he told this morning’s launch of the next 24 Hour Fight Against Cancer Macarthur campaign.

“It has been a rough time for me,’’ Captain Evans told the gathering.

“At first, when you get the diagnosis, you can’t help thinking about what it means, maybe how long you have left,’’ he said.

“The mental battle is the first thing you have to fight when you get cancer.’’

Captain Evans said his journey had been made a little easier because of the huge support from family, friends and work colleagues.

And as part of his journey, he revealed he discovered how the work that the 24 Hour charity does, and with every dollar raised going towards the Macarthur Cancer Therapy Centre, made a big difference.

“Having grown up in the Macarthur it was so good to see such an effort from my community,’’ he said.

In the audience listening to captain Evans’ remarkable story of hope were the mayors of Campbelltown, Larcy Lound, Wollondilly, Matt Gould, and the NSW Minister and local MP Anoulack Chanthivong, pictured at right.

The launch of the 2025 campaign was once again held in the Clintons Toyota showroom in Blaxland Road, Campbelltown.

Chairman Warren Morrison welcomed everyone, before revealing the 24 Hour was very close to reaching a new fundraising milestone, $6 million.

“We are currently at $5.77 million, so we should break through the $6 million during this campaign,’’ he said.

In the 2024 campaign, $397,000 was raised.

A computerised medication cart, fully accessible cancer patient transport bus, two power lift chairs, an ultrasound machine and oncology massage for Cancer Therapy Centre patients were some of the items recently funded by 24 Hours.

The money is raised through several initiatives, the biggest being the 24 Hour Walk in October in the Campbelltown Athletics Centre.

A golf day on July 21, ladies day on August 15, Fred’s Push on September 5, a classic car and bike cruise on September 21, and a Survivors event on October 25 are other fundraisers during the annual campaign.