Meal and a chat for men’s health

AN annual event aimed at raising funds and awareness for prostate cancer is back for the eleventh time.

Ballarat’s Biggest Ever Blokes Lunch will return in August in support of the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia.

Event manager Eliza Hopkinson said it’s important to keep the conversation going about men’s health in the region.

“Ballarat has a real focus on men’s health with high suicide rates and that sort of thing,” she said.

“Men’s health is a prominent issue in the region, however men probably don’t have many platforms where they can speak candidly so that’s what this is.

“They can have a beer in a casual environment and talk about any issues they may have.”

Seven Network’s Hamish McLachlan will be keynote speaker for the event, joined by comedian Mike Goldstein, and CEO of youth non-profit The Reach Foundation, Fergus Watts.

The menu will be prepared by The Mildura Grand Hotel’s executive chef Jay Upul Perera.

The event has been taking place locally since 2011 after the lunch was first served in 2009 in Shepparton by Chris McPherson following a prostate cancer diagnosis.

Since then, the Ballarat event has raised more than $500,000 for the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia, and supported non-profits like MND Victoria, the Ballarat Regional Integrated Cancer Centre, and Ballarat Men’s Mental Health.

Nearly $100,000 was raised from last year’s event alone.

About 400 spots have been filled out of the event’s 520 vacancies and Ms Hopkinson said having Mr McLachlan as the main speaker is a step up for the event.

“We’ve had well-known identities in the past but probably not to the level that Hamish is,” she said.

“It’s bringing the event a lot more life and excitement. A lot of our previous speakers would be someone who’d come to sportsmen’s nights where Hamish probably hasn’t been seen in Ballarat before.”

Ballarat’s Biggest Ever Blokes Lunch will take place from 12pm on Friday 25 August and to book a table visit bit.ly/43ZByUi.