Our mission is to provide comfort, care and practical support to individuals facing breast cancer through our Helping Hand Bag initiative, while raising awareness, building community and reminding every person they are not facing their journey alone. They planned a Luncheon to raise funds for breast cancer awareness. This later evolved into "The Pink Party" and has been an annual event since 2013.
Initially held at the Commodore Motel it has more recently been held at the Glenburnie Race Course Complex due to the larger numbers wanting to attend. The current committee holds an annual “pink” fundraising event in October to continue the work of those who started this committee but have sadly lost their battle. In 2012 committee member Maria Knightly came up with the idea of the Helping Handbag, designed to financially assist people with breast cancer, ensuring fundraising money would stay in the local area. The bags contain vouchers to the value of $1,000 for everyday living expenses including fuel, groceries, pharmaceuticals, meat, fruit/veg etc, that are purchased from local businesses. They are given to Dana, our local Breast Care Nurse, who discreetly distributes them to patients in the Mount Gambier and surrounding area when they present to her when initially diagnosed. The Mount Gambier Breast Cancer Awareness Group has donated more than 550 Helping Hand Bags for people in the local area since its inception and we want these bags to continue to assist people financially as they undergo treatment for breast cancer. Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive with many other local organizations keen to donate to our cause. Since 2019 our group has also spent more than $70,000 on establishing a lymphoedema service in Mount Gambier. This has included the training of a practitioner and supplying 2 state-of-the-art diagnostic machines and 1 laser scanner for use in public and private practice. This now enables early intervention for any patients at high risk of developing lymphoedema, and treatment can be received locally without having to travel to the city. We will continue to support this area when funding is needed. Our group also donated $20,000 to the Mount Gambier & Districts Health Service in April 2026 to contribute towards the purchase of equipment for use in their new breast surgery unit. Our income comes solely from fundraising and donations from local businesses and organisations. All donations are fully tax deductible (see link below)
https://www.paypal.com/au/fundraiser/charity/4501128
