Relay for life - Cancer council fund raising

[h0ughy]

http://www.relay.cancercouncil.com.au/relay.html?relay_id=137

to those who have met me or have actually seen me and ran away, you would have noticed I am a small petite chap!:D Well on the path to a new me I need to change my sorry ways, no I an not weighed down by all that astro gear I seem to have......

Now I don't make decisions lightly and if i commit i nearly always follow through with what I intend to do. I intend to create a team to participate in this event. At the moment it will be me and Tania, I hope to have others commit to the event. Note you have to be in the hunter, and be available on those dates 4&5 november. Knowing my luck it will be a new moon???

If nothing else I urge you to either to think about what this event means, and either give a donation, or if you are local in the hunter and want to be a part of this join the team when it is formed and raise money and sponsership. There are costs involved for joining the team (when I form it) which are organisational costs as outlaid in the website 11 or 15 dollars per person registered.


I intend to attend this event as a mark of respect for my wifes father and My Dad who both died of cancer, as well as for other family members marred by this disease. I have been marred by this insidious disease as well, back in 1995, and it continues to hang as a cloud over me - never knowing when it will rear its ugly head up again. Never take anything for granted.

Even if you dont participate or wish to donate - do something for your own community and get involved at your own local level. you never know the life you might save might be your own one day, and that dollar or two you gave or raised could have been the difference:thumbsup:

I should have some more details by mid next week.

[dugnsuz]

Would happily donate hOughy.
All the best
Doug

[h0ughy]

thanks Doug!

[dugnsuz]

No worries, just post the details mate.

Cancer is my business and I have been touched by the disease in that my grandfather and mother had various forms - Oesophageal and Colonic respectively. It's my "business" as I am a Cytotechnologist...I look down a microscope and diagnose cancer or pre-cancers in PAP smears, Fine needle aspiration specimens and the fluids that the body produces in disease conditions such as the effusions produced in response to say lung cancer for example. I have done this job for 25 years and I have found that every time I discover malignant cells in a specimen I cant help but think about the person and family affected by the disease even if it's only in the abstract way of comparing how the disease affected me and my family. I have recently started a new job in a small lab that performs a very high number of Fine Needle aspirations (FNAs) - needle inserted into a "lump" in order to extract some diagnostic cells - and have been struck by the high numbers of malignant results obtained and thus lives affected!

Houghy good onya for taking a stand and wanting to make a difference.


Doug

[jjjnettie]

Good Onya Houghy.
It's a bloody crook disease, cancer.

Imagine if you can, you get diagnosed with cancer, and the doctor says, "Here's a course of pills, come back in a month and we'll do another test to make sure it's all gone." No more disfiguring operations, no more worrying if it's going to come back with a vengence.

There is a cure for it out there but it takes a lot of money to fund the research to find it.

[iceman]

My parents are going in it too, my Dad is a cancer survivor.

I'll be donating to their cause.

[acropolite]

I can't be there with you h0ughy, but let us know where to contribute.

[h0ughy]

http://www.relay.cancercouncil.com.au/?2007/newcastlelake_macquarie_2007/houghys_heroes

I have created a page on the official relay for life website. direct donations can be made there. Alternately they are sending me a receipt book, the usual over $2 is tax deductible bit applies there if you wish to contact me and make a donation some other way.:thumbsup:

[h0ughy]

OK i will be receiving the first donation very soon. the online donation port is open on the web site for relay for life, and if you want to go there you can click on my signature to go there. Thanks Phil for starting this off

[dugnsuz]

Done!!
All the best Houghy, hope you exceed your target.
Doug:thumbsup:

[h0ughy]

Thanks Doug, I really appreciate the support. Thank you!!:thumbsup::thumbsup:

[h0ughy]

Mike are they in the one at glendale?

[iceman]

They just did it on the weekend!
Not sure where it was, up Bellingen/Coffs way.

[h0ughy]

Fair enough!:thumbsup:

[h0ughy]

thanks Phil,

well the total is looking better all the time, Phil yours wont show up as it is a manual payment, so that will take some time to be added to the team total.

Thank you and I am stoked - we are helping to make a difference:thumbsup:

[Sharnbrook]

Houghy, I'm making a donation to you. Good Luck with the fund raiser, and I should raise the bar if I were you, as you are already over the target.

Whilst we are on about Cancer, may I add my bit?

I had prostate cancer in 2003. It was diagnosed early, but only because I insisted on seeing a specialist. During my annual check-up, the Dr said that he could feel a very slight swelling, and that we should keep a watch on it, as my PSA levels were marginally over the age based limit. As my Father had had prostate cancer, and it's very strongly hereditary, I asked for a referral to a specialist. Even the urologist thought that it was nothing to worry about, but decided to do a biopsy. This confirmed an agressive cancer, and I had the op a few months later.

That was over 4 years ago, I only have one more annual check up after this year, and then I should be considered OK. Like most illnesses, if you catch it early enough, it's generally curable, let it get a hold and it becomes a major problem.

May I recommend that all men over the age of 50 have their PSA checked annually, and see a specialist if it's high. PSA is checked through a blood test, no fingers involved at that stage:thumbsup:. I believe that my insistance probably saved my life. If anyone wants to PM me about it, I'ld be happy to answer any questions in full confidence. However, let me make it quite clear, I'm NOT a medico, but I AM a survivor.

[h0ughy]

Thank you Mike! thanks for your input and insight

[Sharnbrook]

Hey Guys,

No-one else interested? hOughy's making the supreme sacrifice, going to lose some of his pounds (which have cost him a lot,) to raise a few bucks for Cancer research. There are over 3000 members in this Forum, nearly all from Oz, so about 1000 of you are going to get some form of cancer in your lifetime. So far, it seems as if only 3 or 4 people have taken up the challenge.

Splash out, donate $10 by Credit Card, get a receipt by return email, and get a third (or more) of it back from the Taxman.

Just do it!! pleeeeeeeease:help::help::help:

[okiscopey]

OK, did it! (Must obey the Mekon :thumbsup:)

[Sharnbrook]

Thanks Okiscopey. As Mekon, I shall send a batallion of Treens to sort anyone else out who "Dares" to disobey.

For further details on Mekons, Treens and Dan Dare, see the following.

http://internationalhero.co.uk/m/mekon.htm

[h0ughy]

Thank you Michael for the donation. Much appreciated - so far raised $155 sub total.

[h0ughy]

$25 could help inform schools and child care centres about the importance of sun protection and in the long term help lower skin cancer rates.

$60 could provide copies of the Support and Information Pack to newly diagnosed cancer patients - a free resource containing sources of practical and emotional support.

$100 could pay for a helpline counsellor for half a day. Each year our helpline receives over 22 000 calls from across NSW for support and information.

[[1ponders]]

Done and done Mr h0ugh.

[h0ughy]

thanks Mr Ponders very much appreciated with cherries on top - I owe you a Bundy (ginger Beer - yes the real one you drink)

[[1ponders]]

:lol: You can give it to me sometime during the 10 days you WILL be up here next year ;)

[h0ughy]

Cough ,splutter , faint!!! Sure thing, I will just ask the wife:whistle:

[h0ughy]

OK I have the Kit now, it has rememberance candle bags (look the hope picture above) receipt books and the official badge and TShirt.

Now all I need is a team

[h0ughy]

thanks I have received another donation!!

[h0ughy]

:thumbsup:thanks radu5er:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: another wonderful donation to a good cause!!!!!!



this is great - thanks to those who have donated so far. to those thinking about it nows the time:D

[h0ughy]

Thanks Beren,

Fantastic we are up to $235, that's a councillor for a full day

[h0ughy]

just bumping this up again - I have bags for the candlelight ceremony - if interested have a look at the relay for life website as to what it means. Donate and have a message put on a bag for the ceremony

[h0ughy]

I have sold a few raffle tickets, bags and I am in desperate need of donations. The relay is on the weekend after next (which coincides with a dark moonless night....damn the sacrifices one must make):D

[Lee]

Consider mine scope rental fees h0ughy! ;)

[h0ughy]

LOL thanks LEE - have you set it up yet?:thumbsup:

[Lee]

Your welcome.... Not yet..... have just spent the last week reclimbing the G-11 and DSI learning curves, didn't want to put a new scope in the mix also just yet - something to do over full moon?? :D

[h0ughy]

Well 6 days to go, counting down

[h0ughy]

:party2::party2::party2::party2: :party: :jump: with your help and fundraising here in Newcastle I have ammassed a total of $450.00 for Relay for Life . Thank you for your support:thumbsup: if you wish to donate please click on the link in my signature, today is my last fundraising day!!

[h0ughy]

well I did it - i am very sore, tired and I had a great time. My thanks to all those who donated to the cause - thank you!!

[h0ughy]

oh and it rained, and rained and rained:sadeyes:

[h0ughy]

but every one had fun - the kids and the wife are buggered

[h0ughy]

and the miss relay was a hoot - mind you you paid to keep them away......


all up the event raised $124,000 with some outstanding team efforts where two teams raised over $10000 each. there were over 900 participants and 72 teams.

I have already reregistered for next years event.:D yes a sucker for punishement.

But the real thing to see isthat every one of thise bags represents someone who lost the battle to Cancer, and thats the sad, but moving when shared with others, and thats what this event did - brought people together for a common cause