Geelong racing turns pink for breast cancer

THE Geelong Harness Racing Club came alive on Friday last week with the return of Dine For Pink.

The club runs the annual event in conjunction with Breast Cancer Network Australia (BCNA) to raise awareness within the community and support the association’s work.

Alongside ticket sales, a live auction, raffle and BCNA merchandise also raised money for the cause.

Geelong Harness Racing Club general manager Joe Fiala said it was a sell-out event with more than 140 tickets sold.

“It was a fantastic night, everyone got behind it, all of our live auction sold and we had heaps of silent auction [prizes] donated which raised lots of funds for BCNA,” he said.

Guest speakers for the evening were Conrad Brandt, Dr Joshua Lin, and cancer survivors Daniela Damevska and Nicole Riddle.

One of the main goals for the event was to raise awareness around the early signs of cancer and what to look for when getting checked; a message Mr Fiala said he felt they got across.

“Everyone was very engaged when we spoke and there was a really good engagement by the people that were there,” he said.

“We had Joshua and Conrad, you could hear a pin drop in the room when they spoke, which was great.

“[They spoke] about early detection, awareness, how to carry out a breast examination and the importance of just being aware of your body.”

Mr Fiala said the club was looking forward to hosting the event again next year and making it bigger and better.

“We’ve got a bit more momentum, everyone was pretty keen to join in next year and for a great cause,” he said.