TICKLED PINK IN PORT

l PORT DOUGLAS

I HAD the pleasure of attending last Saturday’s ‘Pink in the Tropics’ day which was the combination of a superb lunch followed by a visit to the Croc Pit for a tight game between the Crocs and the Saints.

The colour theme for the day was pink with a touch of blue and the purpose was to raise funds to support the fight against the scourge that is cancer.

Those guys not brave enough to don their favourite pink shirt were more than happy to blue up, which was quite significant as this was representative of the fact that the afternoon also acknowledged prostate cancer.

Starting off with lunch, a hugely fun time was had by all with some 130 people enjoying a gorgeous meal at Salsa Bar and Grill.

Participants showed their generosity by supporting raffles and auctions which ultimately would help to raise those all important funds.

Once fully replete, they were bused off to the Croc Pit for an excellent game of AFL which ultimately saw the Saints come back from behind to enjoy an away victory.

For a little background, Pink in the Tropics Inc is a community based, charity breast cancer support group intended to help those recently diagnosed with cancer, those undergoing treatment, and to celebrate the survivors.

The group chat about all things breast cancer, like what to expect during treatments, how to manage stress and ways to communicate with loved ones about your diagnosis.

Pink in the Tropics, which carries out its fine support work in the Port Douglas, Mossman, Julatten and Daintree regions, was formed in 2010 by a group of Douglas Shire women and has become an uplifting and positive community group for those facing the challenge of breast cancer.

The stats can be quite scary. In the time between when you woke up this morning and when you go to sleep tonight, 57 Australians will be told they have breast cancer.

The incidence rate of women and men being diagnosed with breast cancer in Australia is increasing, with an increase in the last 10 years of 33 per cent.

Australia, however, has one of the best breast cancer survival rates in the world with the mortality rate from breast cancer decreasing.

Prostate cancer is now the most common cancer diagnosed in Australia, overtaking breast cancer as the country’s leading cause of cancer

Current estimates also suggest that more than 3500 men will die from prostate cancer this year, something that may be avoided with early detection.

Obviously, days like this fundraiser go a long way to helping fight the disease.

One of my favourite memories of the day was catching up with Annie Richardson who was the original inspiration for the day’s events. Having visited capital cities with similar events, she believed a lunch and sports events combined would more than work in the Douglas Shire. She wasn’t wrong as the event has grown from strength to strength in recent years.

It’s time to put my pink bow tie away for another year, so for now it’s Gazza signing out.