Mangawhai digs deep for pink cause

 

Shops around Mangawhai were brightened by pink stalls and buckets on October 14 and 15 as the New Zealand Breast Cancer Foundation’s (NZBCF) Pink Ribbon Street Appeal got underway.

October is officially Breast Cancer month, providing the organisation a vital opportunity to fundraise on a large scale nationwide, with proceeds going towards research into new treatments and awareness and education programmes.

NZBCF Pink Ribbon Street Appeal coordinator for Mangawhai, Annette van Steenwijk, says that even the weather did not perturb the community from turning up and donating.

“I cannot express enough about the generosity shown by this fantastic community,” she says. “The total money collected was $3873.60. I think this is great! Last year we were $3500.”

Like many volunteers and supporters, Steenwijk has a personal connection to the disease. Her mother, a nurse, was a breast cancer survivor thanks to a mastectomy she insisted on having in her early 50s.

“As we already lost our father at the young age of 44 to Hodgkin disease, I was just 13 and he had been ill for five years, my mother’s mind was set on surviving,” she says. “She then passed away at a very blessed age of 86.”

Experiencing the devastation of cancer on both her parents naturally had an impact on Steenwijk and, although she supports Daffodil Day, her heart is more aligned with the Breast Cancer Foundation.

This year was her second time as organiser of Mangawhai’s street appeal but she has previously spent six years volunteering for the NZBCF in Auckland.

“I guess witnessing my mother’s battle and having five siblings of whom three are sisters and being female is why I decide to do volunteer work… I love it,” she says. “And all funds collected go to the Foundation to help sufferers, different from Daffodil Day where money gets more broadly distributed.”

Among the many volunteers involved was Computer Guy, Steve Green, who says this was his third time he has ‘pink ribboned’, previously helping his son and daughter-in-law in Auckland’s fundraisers.

He was inspired to get involved this year when he met Annette after 2015’s street appeal and says she is ‘a super person and highly effective in her role.’

“I would also like to acknowledge the generosity of the many blokes in Mangawhai who willingly donated over the two days,” he says. “Accepting that breast cancer has traditionally been viewed as a female condition, the generosity of the blokes indicates an appreciation that everyone in the family is impacted when such a cancer is diagnosed.”

Statistics surrounding the disease are frightening. Every year 600 women will die from breast cancer and eight women are diagnosed per day. With 30 per cent of NZ women not enrolled in the breast screening programme and with 60 per cent not knowing the signs to look out for, money is desperately needed to enhance awareness and education of the disease.

Steenwijk says she is very grateful to the local businesses who supported the cause by having a collection box on their counters, including Dizzy Lizzy, Harvest Blue, Mangawhai Heads Pharmacy, the Golf Club and Kakariki.

“I also want to say a big thank you to all the volunteers for giving time and to everyone who donated,” she says. “Mangawhai is such a hands-on community that thrives on the willingness of people to help out and be involved. I think it says a lot about the people living here… the Spirit of Mangawhai.”

APPEAL: Sisters Elizabeth and Alexandra Saua, who lost their mother to breast cancer 11 years ago, hand over their stall to Steve Green and co-ordinator Annette.