BALLARAT Regional Integrated Cancer Centre\u2019s Wellness Centre is a beneficiary of Dry July fundraising, as local people take a break from alcohol this month.<\/p>\n
The facility has received funds as a result of the campaign before, and Simone Noelker, Coordinator of BRICC Wellness Centre said this money has a wide impact on the wellbeing of patients.<\/p>\n
\u201cLast year it was about $40,000 which is a huge amount of money that goes towards supporting our programs that we run through the Wellness Centre over the year. It\u2019s great being a recipient again this year,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur yoga classes and things like that cost $6000 a year to run. It enables us to run yoga classes to get cancer patients back into exercise. It\u2019s a gentle form of yoga, encouraging to help with their movement and pain. For a whole year, that can be paid for through Dry July.\u201d<\/p>\n
The funds raised can also pay for weekly visits from the Delta Therapy Dogs, private and group art therapy sessions for stress and anxiety management across the year, a mindfulness program focussing on the present, and more.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith Dry July, all those programs are done and dusted,\u201d Ms Noelker said. \u201cWe don\u2019t have any government funding for the programs so it\u2019s just a really great way for us to guarantee those programs are running for the patients.\u201d<\/p>\n