General News
3 September, 2024
Baring it all raises $49,000 for MDHS
The 2024 Full Monty event has officially raised a record $49,096 for the Maryborough District Health Service (MDHS) oncology unit.
The event, held on June 15 at the Maryborough Highland Society, saw 12 men and women affected by cancer tell their stories and bare it all in a show of strength against cancer.
Speaking at the cheque handover last Friday, organiser Nick Weaver said he continues to be amazed by the support for the event.
“It’s incredible just to see that cheque after all of the work that everyone involved in it has done,” he said.
“We know the hospital is going to do some great work with it, we are working on getting a new MRI unit so that’s going to be our goal for the next couple of years.
“A huge thanks to all the sponsors that got on board, people who donated, local businesses that donated as well, especially in the way we are at the moment, it’s not getting any easier and people still want to dig deep and support the cause.”
Mr Weaver said plans have already started for the 2025 event, with money raised from donations, ticket sales, silent auctions and raffles continuing to make a big difference.
“I want to keep doing it to make people’s lives within our community a lot easier,” he said.
“When people see the Full Monty, they think that we are [only] getting nude, but once you are in the room and you hear [our] stories and know what we are doing this for, the feeling is absolute inspiration.
“I watched my father go through cancer and whether he was going to survive or not, there was so much we could have done back then to make that journey easier for him.
“Cancer affects everybody, it sucks and we just want to make a difference.”
MDHS CEO Nickola Allan said she is incredibly thankful for residents’ continued support to assist locals affected by cancer.
“I was a little bit speechless which doesn’t happen very often — for our community to continually fundraise to ensure we have access to services locally is unbelievable,” she said.
“Without that commitment, vision and engagement with the community, it means you are not developing the services that our community needs.
“If we don’t have our community groups fundraising it means we wouldn’t be able to do things like open a BreastScreen service.
“I will be indebted to the work of our community groups who continue to provide support for our health service which means they are providing support for each other.”