One of the country’s best-known fundraisers, Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea, is coming up again next week, aiming to make a big difference for those impacted by cancer.
This year will mark Braddock Public School’s very first Biggest Morning Tea.
The idea came from mother-daughter duo and Aboriginal Education Officers Lisa and Ashlea Holt, in an effort to support those in the community who have been touched by cancer.
“I think this has hit a lot of our families personally. We have a lot of grandmothers, mothers affected by cancer, and we have a lot of staff who have been affected by cancer,” she said.
“We’re putting this event on to help them come together, raise money, and hopefully heal some pain along the way.”
The cause also hits particularly close to home for Ashlea, who has been battling an extremely rare brain cancer herself over the last year and a half.
“I think it’s a good way for Mum especially to heal as well, because I don’t think people realise that cancer effects not just the person, but their family, friends and community along with it,” she said.
“I’ve been given 33 rounds of radiation, and two operations, 53 staples in my head. My kids and my family and my work colleagues and everything were very much so affected by it, as well as the kids who come here to the school as well.”
The school has plenty planned for the day, with celebrations held on Thursday, May 23, set to consist of everything from food to activities.
“We’ve put out for parents and staff to involve themselves in bake stalls to raise money, and also to help us decorate,” she said.
“We’ve also got the canteen on board, so we’ll be having a meal deal that the kids will purchase, and then $1 of the proceeds will go to the Cancer Council as well.”
The event will be held in the school’s new FlexiHub, a community space which was officially opened by Karen McKeown and Melissa McIntosh over the weekend, and aims to provide safety and security for adults in the wider area.
“We’ve got our school, which is a safe space for our students, but we really want the FlexiHub to be a safe space for our community and our families,” said Community Liaison Officer, Isaac Thompson.
“We’ve had many events here already, and that’s just about trying to engage community and become closer to the school and build that trust within our school setting.”
In light of this, Assistant Principal Michael Dukes said he’s hoping to see as many people get involved as possible.
“We really want people to attend, and if they can find a way to support monetarily, that’s great too,” he said.
An abundance of other local businesses and organisations will also be hosting Australia’s Biggest Morning Teas over the next week in support of Cancer Council and cancer research.
To find an event near you, or host your own, visit http://www.biggestmorningtea.com.au.
Cassidy Pearce
Cassidy Pearce is a news and entertainment journalist with The Western Weekender. A graduate of the University of Technology Sydney, she has previously worked with Good Morning Macarthur and joined the Weekender in 2022.