Pink Lady® apples together with Rees Dynamic hosted their ninth annual Pink Lady® Crafts for Cancer event on Saturday, 20 October 2018 at the NH The Lord Charles Hotel in Somerset West. Every year this event is held to raise funds for the Tygerberg Hospital Breast Clinic Fund.
Being diagnosed with breast cancer and plucking up the courage to fight the disease is one thing in itself but imagine not being able to go for your treatment because you do not have the funds to cover transportation to and from the clinic. This is the reality for many women who are diagnosed with breast cancer at the Tygerberg Hospital Breast Clinic. The fund assists these women with transport money so that they can receive their much needed treatment regularly.
This year, 100 ladies came together for a day of cake decorating presented by the talented Beate Strydom from The Birdcage in Stellenbosch, resulting in R50 0000 being raised for The Fund.
The Transport Fund for the Breast Clinic was started at Tygerberg Hospital in 2010 and what started as a small-scale initiative to assist one patient in need, has since grown to a fully-fledged fund that has helped countless women and continues to grow.
70% of women diagnosed with Breast Cancer at the Breast Clinic of Tygerberg Hospital are in the low-income bracket, and whilst the government covers the treatment costs, their transport costs to and from the hospital for regular radiotherapy sessions often becomes a barrier to entry. Radiotherapy sessions last for either 16 or 25 days and the transport costs for these patients are often too high.
There are approximately 550 new breast cancer patients at Tygerberg Hospital every year, and because of the money raised for The Fund, not one of them misses their treatment due to not being able to afford to travel to the hospital. This past year, the fund covered 2 332 trips in total.
“I am so proud of this event and of every woman that attends. There is a saying that goes, Each one of us can make a difference but together we make change! And that is exactly what we are doing. Thank you also to all our wonderful sponsors, we could not do this without you. “ Liza Matthews, Marketing Manager, Pink Lady®
This year the ladies in attendance enjoyed a morning learning how to master cake decorating. After the crafting morning, guests were entertained by singer Elandré and then lunch was served. Doctor Apffelstaedt, specialist breast cancer surgeon who started the fund, gave a speech and Dr Jenny Edge, Head of the Tygerberg Hospital Mamma Clinic, thanked all the ladies that donated to the fund, making a tangible difference to the lives of those less fortunate.
Left to right: Mike Burton (Rees Dynamic), Liza Matthews (Marketing Manager, Pink Lady® apples) and Dr Jenny Edge (Head, Mamma Clinic, Tygerberg Hospital)
For more information:
Liza Matthews
Email: lizam@topfruit.co.za
Tel: 021 874 1033
www.pinkladycraftsforcancer.co.za