Happy anniversary

Mount Gambier’s Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea part of 30th milestone for Cancer Council fundraiser

Karen Petersen has been at the forefront of building awareness about cancer and fundraising for the cause for decades and as she approaches hosting her second Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea – her motivation is not just her family experience, that has driven her long standing commitment but the loss of friend and colleague Gail Walker this February.

“This is my second time hosting the event and I am doing it this year in memory of my workmate Gail Walker,” Karen said. “Gail was 47 and passed away after being diagnosed with terminal cancer in April 2021. She was in the room with us at the morning tea last year and the good thing is she was able to listen to Will McDonald and what he has gone through with his cancer journey.

“It allowed her to reach out to the Cancer Council and get some support and she got a lot out of it. She was very private about her journey and to give her someone to talk to (at the Cancer Council) was so important.”

Karen also wanted to point out that the Cancer Council support was not just for patients but families and friends could also reach out for that invaluable support. Karen took over the Mount Gambier event from long time host Lois Bayre and the 2023 event is on May 26 from 10am at the Blue Lake Golf Club.

It is the 30th anniversary of the nationwide event that has nationally raised more than $200million.

Part of that windfall has gone to Greenhill Lodge – the Adelaide based accommodation for country based patients that head to the SA capital – and with recent redevelopments that continues to be a welcome refuge for those patients.

“That facility is for country patients and that’s what we raise money for,” Karen said. “I have recently had feedback from someone who has used the facility and they loved it. It has got everything a country patients needs. There is support there, they can catch a bus to their treatment and there’s a restaurant to have a meal. It is a one stop shop now.”

The event has been boosted by the support of Aleathia Holland from Athella Tea, supplying the all important tea bags for the event.

“Her family has been touched by cancer as have so many families and that’s why we need to keep raising money to support the Cancer Council SA,” Karen said.

And that local business support is, as always, so generous. Redgum is facilitating the fashion parade and the raffle and silent auction has been made possible by that generosity of local business, “We are so grateful for all the local business support with donations,” Karen said.

The now traditional trading table, instigated by Peter Bayre, is also set to continue at the 2023 event. Promotional flyers around town have a QR code you can access to donate to the cause, while Confessions has jumped on board the 2023 campaign with a similar QR code on their take away cups which can also access the donation link.

Limited tickets are still available and can be purchased for $30, the same price as the 2022 event, from Canopy Interiors.

READY TO FUNDRAISE: Host Karen Petersen, Confession barista Logan Hawke & committee member Deanne Carmody.