The Beat Cancer Project is a strategic cancer research partnership between Cancer Council SA, SA Health, and South Australia’s flagship research facility the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI).
Cancer Council's Beat Cancer Project has one vision – to bring us closer than ever to a future without cancer... and we have every reason to believe it is possible!
Thanks to the contribution of cancer research, over the last 20 years in Australia we have seen;
- Cancer deaths fall by approximately 14%
- Survival rates for many common cancers increase by as much as 30%
- An estimated 61,000 Australian lives saved by improvements in cancer prevention, screening and treatment
Thanks to your generous support, Cancer Council SA is investing $10 million into Cancer Council's Beat Cancer Project over five years, to be matched by SA Health, creating a pool of funds totalling $20 million – making it the single largest source of funding for cancer research and infrastructure within our state.
Through investing these funds with SAHMRI, Cancer Council’s Beat Cancer Project will not only ensure that the donations given by our generous supporters are strategically targeted to cancer research projects that are needed most, it will also ensure that the research being undertaken is of the highest standard and enable further funding to be acquired.
My Fundraising Ideas:
When I was accepted onto the Beat Cancer Tour team my aim was do fundraise $25,000, and my official finishing total ended up being $32,954 !!!!!!
Some of the things I did were:
Catch the Crowds:
This was my biggest contributor. I had some signs made up and stood out the back of the Adelaide Railway Station when there was a football or cricket game on and catch the crowd as they walked towards the bridge to Adelaide Oval.
 |
| Raising Funds Outside The Railway Station On Game Days |
CULLEN Real Estate:
I am fortunate enough to own my own real estate business.
 |
| Beat Cancer Tour Sticker On Our Window |
I also has a sticker made up to put on my office window, and also promoted the Beat Cancer Tour on flyers I sent out to the local neighbourhoods.
I wrote letters to the people who had bought and sold from me before, and also tenants and landlords, many of whom were happy to donate!
 |
| Leaflets Distributed Around My Neighbourhood
|
Mum's 80th:
My mum celebrated her 80th birthday this year and in lieu of receiving presents she asked people to donate to the Cancer Council via my fundraising instead.
She also put the word out to all her friends and our extended family, many who donated - some even twice!!
Thank you very much mum!
 |
| Mum and I at her 80th Celebration Dinner |
My Swag Forum:
We are members of the myswag.org internet forum - a forum for offroad camper trailer enthusiasts. This year I led a two week trip for interstate members to the Flinders Ranges.
Every morning the campers in our group would drop off all their 10c recylables to me which they had consumed the night before, I would wash them, crush them, and then carry them in a bag tied to our van.
The group also got together and donated $200 as a thank you for organising the trip!
 |
| Holding Up The 'Cheque' Given To Me By The MySwag Flinders Trip Crew |
Adelaide Jeep Club:
We are also members of the Adelaide Jeep Club and have been since we bought our first Jeep back in 2004. Although we are now Land Cruiser owners, (as many Jeep owners experience the 'Jeep Thing' too they also move to other brands - over half of our club are non-Jeeps!!), we have made many great friends within the Club.
Alot of members made individual donations as well as the Club as a whole donating $200 to me.
2 Handmade Quilts:
Caroline, a lady I sold a house to, put in a massive amount of time and effort to donate two handmade quilts to my fundraising effort.
I placed both the quilts on eBay and both were snapped up by an interstate buyer!
 |
| Caroline Presenting Me With One Of Her Handmade Quilts |
10c Recyclables & Money Box:
We keep our 10c recylables and after rinsing them place them in a bucket. It's surprising to see how much these add up to over the year.
We also have a little Cancer Council money box on a table where we place our car keys. Each time we come home I empty the coins out of my wallet and into the box. Again it is surprising how much this can add up to over time!
My Friends, Faceboook, and E-mail:
A HUGE THANK YOU has to go out to my Facebook friends and E-mail acquaintences. Since March this year I have pestered them relentlessly asking them to support me with donations, sharing my Facebook posts to their friends, and giving me encouragement along the way.
These friends extend to old school friends, people I haven't even seen in over 25 years but still communicate with, the awesome Megabike cycling community, from the MySwag Forum and Jeep Club and more. I can't Thank You enough and it is because of generous people like you that has made this all worth while!
My Family:
A MASSIVE THANK YOU goes out to to my wife Catie and sons Oliver and Jasper.
My wife held very strong holding down the fort of both house and business during my accident and was so supportive and patient with me during my recovery - I can't thank you enough.
My boys are always there with me - they have come out fundraising with me, Ollie was there beside me the first time I go on the wind trainer after my accident, rode Amy's Ride with me, and has been out on many of my rides with me.
I am very lucky to have such an awesome family - the time taken for training for the Beat Cancer Tour, plus the time for the fundraising effort has meant less time with them, but they have been very understanding, realising that participating in the Beat Cancer Tour is a dream come true for me.
Finally I would like to say that my fundraising journey has been very humbling and rewarding. I have met some extrordinary people, realised the true friendships I have, and are blessed to be surrounded by the people I am close to.
Thank You to everyone that has donated to me and/or supported me in this journey, now let the riding begin....
