EGHS recipient of $10,000 Tour de Cure donation

East Grampians Health Service was recently presented with $10,000 from Tour de Cure, which passed through Ararat during its Victorian cycle tour.

With the mission of ‘Curing Cancer, Changing Lives’, Tour de Cure began with a powerful dream – to cure cancer by funding groundbreaking research. Since its inception in 2007, the charity has raised more than $130 million in its pursuit of this dream.

In 2007, three mates – Geoff Coombes, Samantha Hollier-James and Gary Bertwistle – met up for a quiet coffee in Sydney.

They wanted to make a difference and decided to see what disease affected the most Australians. With 1 in 2 men and women affected by cancer by the age of 85, they decided to focus their efforts on helping to find a cure for cancer.

This year’s Victorian tour began in Halls Gap, with Ararat and Ballarat on its nightly pitstops, finishing in Melbourne.

At a presentation dinner in the Ararat Town Hall, $10,000 was presented to EGHS Deputy Director of Clincal Services Rebecca Peters and Community Liaison Office Jodie Holwell by Commonwealth Bank Area Manager Scott Thompson.

The evening also featured a panel of guest speakers, all participants in the Tour de Cure, with their moving stories of cancer survival and life stories touching all who attended

The $10,000 donation to EGHS is a valuable contribution to an area of growth at EGHS. Over the past seven years, there has been an annual increase of more than 17 per cent in occasions of service per year at the EGHS Oncology Unit.

“EGHS sincerely thanks Tour de Cure for their fundraising work and dedication in moving towards a cancer-free future,” Ms Peters said.

“The donation to the oncology unit has enabled us to purchase a lovely new treatment chair and to partner with a local furniture and décor business to give the unit a refresh which will enhance the aesthetics of the treatment space.

“These improvements will no doubt result in better patient experience for those impacted by cancer and using our service.”