For the very best charities, it’s not just about the money, but how you use it.
For the past two years 24 Hour Fight Against Cancer Macarthur has funded – among other things – the employment of a therapist as part of cancer therapy.
Now the State Government has acknowledged the importance of the role and will pay for their services.
Warren Morrison, chairman of 24 Hour Fight, hopes the same thing will happen with a physiotherapy program the Macarthur charity is also currently funding.
“We speak to the hospitals every six months and the doctors in cancer therapy about what they’d like,’’ says Mr Morrison in an interview with the Voice in Macarthur on the eve of another 24 Hour fundraising year.
“It means 24 Hour money can continually help expand services and treatment offered to cancer patients in Macarthur,’’ he said.
Of course without money nothing can be done, and on that score alone 24 Hour is flying very high.
And it’s all down to the people who roll up their sleeves every year and do the hard yakka for 24 Hour.
“We’ve got a great committee, a group of people who’ve been involved for quite a long time,’’ says Mr Morrison.
[social_quote duplicate=”no” align=”default”]“Without them, nothing would happen.[/social_quote]
“And the sponsors – 24 Hour is all about donations – and to have the people we have behind it is also why it is so successful.
“It’s to the credit of our committee and our sponsors that we had another great year, raising $317,000 in the past year,’’ Mr Morrison said.
All funds raised year after year help cancer patients in Campbelltown and Camden hospitals at the Macarthur Cancer Therapy Centre, the Oncology Ward, the Paediatric Ambulatory Care Unit and the Camden Palliative Care Unit and its outreach service.
Last year’s 24 Hour was the first without its founder, Fred Borg, who had passed away, and the committee wanted to honour his memory by putting in a terrific effort.
“We got through that major year, and we reached the $4 million mark at the same time,’’ says Mr Morrison.
The chairman is keen to make sure the members of his committee, many of whom have been there for a long time, aren’t overburdened by the demands of the ever growing 24 Hour machine.
“There’s so much a committee can do,’’ he says.
“We’re all volunteers and nobody wants a cent for what they do, but it is time consuming to keep a charity up to that level.
“And we’re all proud of doing it that way, and we want to keep it that way, but when someone comes along and offers to do a fundraising event for us, we say, we’d love you to do what you do, and we’ll put our name behind it.
“But it is hard to ask the committee to look after more and more fundraising events.
“We want to make sure we keep what we have to that level, and slowly progress it as we go,’’ Mr Morrison said.
SNAPSHOT – 24 HOUR FIGHT AGAINST CANCER 2018
Official 2018 launch: June 15, Clintons Blaxland Road
Sleeping Giant golf day: Monday, July 23, Camden Lakeside
Mcdonalds fundraiser: August 22, all 14 local stores
Ladies Day luncheon: August 31, Camden Lakeside
Fred’s Wheelchair Push by Paul Nunnari sponsored by Bob Jane: September 7
24 Hour walk: Saturday, October 20
Survivors day luncheon: October 29, Tabcorp Menangle. Includes race day, children’s festival and Hollylea car show by Reno Smash Repairs.
