February 20, 2017
A crowd of about 75 supporters gathered at the Wondai Country Club on Saturday night to help the McGrath Foundation keep McGrath Breast Care Nurse Roslyn Melmeth in the South Burnett.
The occasion was the annual Pink Stumps Family Fun Bowls Night, a follow-up to the annual Pink Stumps Golf Day held at the Country Club in January.
Both events have now been running “about five or six years”, organiser Cameron Donohue said.
The idea to hold a golf day and a bowls night came from the Wondai Cricket Club, who were inspired by international cricketer Glenn McGrath.
Glenn McGrath created the McGrath Foundation after his wife, Jane, was stricken with breast cancer not once, but twice.
The second time Jane was diagnosed, she had a breast care nurse who empowered and comforted her, and the entire family.
Jane McGrath’s experience set the mission for the Foundation, which has committed to support thousands of Australian breast cancer sufferers every day, no matter where they live.
McGrath Breast Care Nurses help individuals and their families experiencing breast cancer by providing physical, psychological and emotional support.
From the time of diagnosis, and throughout treatment, this support is available free.
The Foundation now funds 117 McGrath Breast Care Nurses in communities right across Australia, mostly in regional and rural areas where such treatment may be hard to find.
Combined, these nurses have supported more than 50,000 families since 2005.
The Wondai Cricket Club has made the McGrath Foundation their charity of choice, and to judge by the crowd at the bowls club on Saturday night, so has Wondai and a nice whack of Kingaroy too.
Cameron said a number of volunteers now helped put on the two events, which raise between $3000 and $4000 for the Foundation each year.
“We like to focus on both sports so both parts of the Country Club see a benefit,” Cameron said.
“Last year we had so many people turn up to the Bowls Night that they exceeded the capacity of the rinks, so we ran pretty late ensuring everyone got a game. But this year we should be OK.”
For a modest $15, guests got to enjoy a freshly barbecued burger; a round of bowls; and could slake their thirst at the bar.
There were also novelty prizes, a multi-draw raffle and a money board running during the evening, along with the chance to win a $500 prize from Kingaroy’s Telstra shop.
Cameron said he was very happy with the turnout.
The Pink Stumps Golf Day in January had raised $2250, and he thought the Pink Stumps Bowls Night would help get this year’s effort close to the $4000 mark.
