Coming together for cancer cause

TEA, cakes, wine, and fine China will decorate a Grovedale cafe later this year as part of a high tea event aimed at raising funds for cancer research.

Tickets opened on Monday for the event which is set to take place at Sandstone and Co Cafe on Sunday 1 October, coordinated by Inverleigh locals Jane Vandenbeng and Tonia Tribe.

With 60 spots available and proceeds going towards Cancer Council, Ms Vandenberg said the event, called the Bosom Buddies High Tea, will be about having fun and connecting through shared experiences.

“We want to make it a fun event with lots of laughs,” she said. “There’ll be bubbles and gift bags at the door, some raffles and prizes, all sorts of things.

“We would like to give people the opportunity too if they have some experiences, if they have a tribute for a lost loved one or someone who’s battling cancer.

“There’ll be time for that reflection as well.”

Ms Vandenberg is no stranger to combining cancer fundraising with high tea fun, having hosted a similar event at Inverleigh in 2015 which raised about $40,000.

She followed it up with an initiative with Ms Tribe and Love Your Sister’s Sam Johnson in 2017.

A breast cancer survivor of 11 years, Ms Vandenberg said the cause is an important one to her.

“Without cancer research, I wouldn’t be here,” she said. “It was a new treatment I’d had, when they started to specialise in separate treatment instead of one big sprawl.

“I want to give back. My three siblings have had it as well. My two sisters had breast cancer and my brother had prostate cancer. We’re all here today because there was funding for that research.”

Earlier this year, Ms Vandenberg took part for the first time in the Shitbox Rally’s summer session, which has raised more than $30 million for Cancer Council.

With an entry donation of $5000, proceeds from the high tea will go towards her return to the event next year.

Tickets to the Bosom Buddies High Tea are $74 and can be booked at bit.ly/3XLlAe0.