Cancer wellness fundraiser sells out

THE region is again getting right behind Bendigo Health’s Cancer Wellness Program, with this year’s McKean McGregor Bendigo Community Gala Ball already sold out.

One thousand people – the ball’s capacity – have bought their tickets and will participate in the program’s major annual fundraiser at Red Energy Arena on Saturday 15 June.

Real estate business McKean McGregor, which developed the gala ball concept, is already running an auction on its website and will host a live auction during the formal evening, which will feature entertainment by the Baker Boys Band in its seven-piece format.

The beneficiary is the Cancer Wellness Program, which began at the Gobbé Wellness Centre in the hospital precinct in 2020.

Cancer Wellness co-ordinator Jenna Sing said the ball was the program’s most important fundraising event of the year as it is funded entirely by philanthropic donations.

“It’s about the community getting together for a really great cause,” Ms Sing said of the ball. “It’s a nice time to celebrate what we do in our community and how we do it.”

The Cancer Wellness Program offers a range of activities to help improve the physical, mental and spiritual wellbeing of patients and carers. It includes workshops and activities such as yoga, meditation and oncology massage, and is free of charge.

The Gobbé Wellness Centre was established to offer patients and carers a more relaxing and home-like setting, rather than a hospital atmosphere. It is used by patients and their families before, during and after appointments.

Ms Sing said demand was continuing to increase – more than 500 people now access the program each year – and some of the proceeds from this year’s ball would go towards renovating a former superintendent’s residence on the hospital site to house more consulting rooms, and expand services.

Ms Sing said Australian cancer campaigner Olivia Newton-John pioneered the wellness program concept in Australia after seeing its success in the United States and Europe. “Patients really get enjoyment out of having a safe space for activities; they generally just love the space,” she said.

McKean McGregor marketing manager Brock Pinner said his firm came up with the gala ball concept to benefit the program before the COVID-19 pandemic.

He said the ball, now in its third year, had two primary aims: “To bring the community together for a fun night and to raise funds for a very worthy cause.”

The auction on the McKean McGregor website will run until 10pm on the gala ball night. The live auction during the evening will feature more than a dozen items.