By ALANA MITCHELSON
A PAKENHAM group participating in last week’s national Biggest Morning Tea fund-raiser has raised almost $2000 for the Cancer Council.
About 50 residents enjoyed coffee, cakes and raffle prizes at the Lakeside Mill, Pakenham, on 24 May.
Organisers Dina Pearson and Kate Thompson held a similar event last year with the school mums, which was so popular they decided to expand the fund-raiser this year.
The pair were proud to announce that the event raised $1963 towards cancer research.
Ms Pearson has experienced first-hand the trauma of being diagnosed with cancer. She was 28 weeks pregnant at the time.
“It was a very rare, aggressive breast cancer. I had two rounds of chemotherapy while pregnant and a lot of nasty thoughts go through your mind,“ she said.
“My baby was born premature and had a baby stroke – that was another hurdle we had to go through as a family.
“I had the best doctors and support. I kept positive and our baby is healthy.
“I felt like I had to give back. I cringe when I hear the word cancer, so a morning tea where you can do something fun – like drinking coffee and chatting with your girlfriends – while raising money and awareness is perfect.”
Ms Pearson said they hoped to make it an annual event in Pakenham.
The Lakeside Mill donated 100 per cent of coffee purchases to the charity.
