Walk in the 2008 Brownlow medallist’s shoes and help de-feet cancer
For
immediate release
5 October 2008
- COPY BEGINS -
A cancer charity supporting young adults (18 to 40 years)
will be launched at the In My Shoes gala dinner held in
Melbourne on Friday 31 October.
Hosted by the charity’s ambassador and breakfast radio host,
Tom Gleeson, the Warwick Foundation’s In My Shoes gala is
shaping up to be one of the hottest tickets in town.
Guests will be able to bid for shoes formerly owned and
signed by celebrities including Eric Bana, Brownlow
medallist Adam Cooney, Jimmy Barnes, Shane Warne, Natalie
Bassingthwaite, Kate Ritchie, Tamsin Lewis, Sam Newman,
Triathlete Olympic gold medallist Emma Snowsill, Kate
Ceberano, James Reyne and many AFL and NRL players.
The gala will be a night of glamour and excitement,
featuring a sumptuous three-course dinner. There will be
live entertainment from band Replay, fantastic silent
auctions, and a live auction of celebrity-signed shoes.
“In My Shoes - The Warwick Foundation is the first and only
charity organisation in Australia focusing on supporting
young adults (18-40 years) on their cancer journey,” says
founder, Samantha Lehmann.
The Foundation aims to establish care centres around
Australia specifically for this age group, a goal that Tom
Gleeson fully supports.
“When you're not a cute kid or a bit older with children and
grandchildren of your own, there just doesn't seem to be as
many people helping you with your struggle. This is where
young men and women can slip between the cracks,” says
Gleeson.
Every six hours a young adult, aged 18 to 40, is diagnosed
with cancer in Australia.
“Young adults who are diagnosed with cancer encounter a
unique set of issues and challenges, often feeling isolated
and alone with a sense of being ‘too young’ to have cancer.
This is why it’s important for young adult patients to meet
and talk to people their own age about the disease, which
The Warwick Foundation is making possible through its Mates
In My Shoes program,” Gleeson says.
A limited number of gala tickets are still available. Call
(03) 9379 1785 or email enquiries@thewarwickfoundation.org.au.
For more information, visit the website at
www.thewarwickfoundation.org.au.
- COPY ENDS -
Charity profile – The Warwick Foundation
The Warwick Foundation is the first and only non-profit
charitable organisation (ABN 866 053 578 79) in Australia
focusing on supporting young adults (18-40 years) on their
cancer journey. It was founded by Samantha Lehmann, in
memory of her brother, Warwick, who lost his cancer battle
in March 2005 at only 35 years old.
After witnessing the care her brother received throughout
his cancer treatment, she began to question the lack of
support available to him and other people his age fighting
cancer. Most facilities were tailored for either children or
the elderly but there were obvious gaps in treatment for
those in between. Through her research, Samantha discovered
the survival rate for young adults with cancer has only
improved by 1 per cent in the last 30 years, compared to
those of children and the elderly, which have improved by an
average of 30 per cent. This is in part due to late
diagnoses by overworked doctors who can dismiss symptoms as
‘growing pains’ or milder ailments.
The Warwick Foundation aims to raise awareness of cancer
among adolescents and young adults to ensure they are
diagnosed promptly and to improve the survival rate. The
Foundation will link patients, survivors and caregivers to
form support groups in all areas around Australia, create
journey kits for all young people diagnosed with cancer, and
advocate for the establishment of care centres around
Australia for adolescents and young adults with cancer.
The Foundation’s mission is to encourage recognition of the
unique challenges young adults face on their cancer journey,
to pioneer the development of effective models of care for
young adults with cancer, and to provide resources and
information relevant to the needs of young adults with
cancer.
Website address: www.thewarwickfoundation.org.au
Contact
Samantha Lehmann
Founder
In My Shoes - The Warwick Foundation
P: 0400 907 526
E:
enquiries@thewarwickfoundation.org.au
