Pink Phoenix’s loose change-over

EARLY next year, Llanberris Athletic Track will see a Guinness World Record attempt for the longest line of coins.

Hoping to line up 90kms, all money involved will be funnelled back into the Ballarat Regional Integrated Cancer Centre’s Wellness Centre, and ahead of the event, Ballarat Pink Phoenix Breast Cancer support group have made an early injection.

Last week, Pink Phoenix donated the equivalent of 1.3kms of coins, $3400. This is also the amount of money it takes to fund the Wellness Centre’s mindfulness program for a year.

BRICC Wellness Centre Coordinator, Simone Noelker said the idea for the world record is that “a little change does make a big difference.

“We run 14 different programs like massage, yoga, mindfulness, information sessions about fatigue, financial advice, bra fittings… It’s all here to support cancer patients in the Ballarat and Grampians region,” she said.

“The programs don’t have government funding, so that’s why we fundraise. If everyone in Ballarat contributed the length of $2.65, we’d have the record done and dusted.

“Things like this, when you have a group that donates over a kilometre, it just makes it that much easier to get to the goal,” Ms Noelker said.

Pink Phoenix is an ongoing supporter of the centre, but Pauline Prebble said the coin line was a great excuse to contribute in a different way.

“Rather than just writing a cheque miscellaneously, we thought, why not contribute to a world record attempt as well,” she said.

“Local people sponsor and support us, and we’re therefore able to put it back into supporting all cancer patients locally, not just breast cancer survivors.”

Ballarat Pink Phoenix’s next fundraising evening at the Ballarat Trotting Club will take place on Tuesday, 11 February. Visit ballaratpinkphoenix.org.au.