Daffodil Day celebrates those touched by cancer

THE community recognises Daffodil Day today, which is Cancer Council’s most iconic and much-loved annual campaign to raise life saving funds for world-class cancer research.

Daffodil Day and its namesake appeal is a time of hope, where the community comes together to show their support for the 34,000 Victorians and 150,000 people Australia wide who are diagnosed with cancer each year.

By supporting Daffodil Day and life saving cancer research over the journey, Victorians have been able to assist in funding huge investments into research, which in turn has played a major part in advancements in cancer prevention, screening and treatment.

Thanks to the investment into cancer research by the Cancer Council and Australian people, the survival rate for the disease has risen from 51 per cent in the late 1980s to around 70 percent in 2022.

This August, through the Daffodil Day Appeal, there has been plenty of ways for people to get involved in raising funds and awareness for those touched by cancer.

Cancer Council has invited people to donate to the appeal through their website, while the community have also been encouraged to generate their own fundraising events during August by giving up something that they love or by getting active for the cause.

Locals in the region have also been encouraged to buy daffodils from participating Daffodil Day stalls or advised to order the flowers through the Cancer Council website for home delivery.

The Geelong Flower Farm is one of many local businesses embracing the cause, donating 50 cents from each bunch of Daffodils they sell to cancer research.

“It’s great to be supporting the cause this year for the first time by donating some proceeds from our daffodil sales to the Cancer Council Daffodil Day Appeal,” Geelong Flower Farm Manager Rebecca Dickson said.

“It’s obviously a great cause that we wanted to get behind and hopefully the community does too.”

With 95 Victorians being diagnosed with cancer every day, Cancer Council Victoria’s CEO Todd Harper AM urged the community to give this Daffodil Day Appeal to fund the country’s best and brightest cancer researchers.

“Cancer takes so much from all of us,” Mr Harper said.

“It’s why this year, we’re calling on Victorians to give hope to those impacted by cancer by funding vital cancer research that is saving lives every day.

“Every person who donates or buys daffodils this August will be helping us to continue investing in life-saving cancer research programs, giving hope for better treatments and early detection and ultimately, giving us hope for a cancer-free future.”

Last year in 2021, the Cancer Council Daffodil Day Appeal was able to protect two million children in Australia, while more than 60 million dollars was invested into research.

For all that cancer takes, Cancer Council asks the community to give all they can this Daffodil Day.

To find out more or to donate, go to daffodilday.com.au.