Celebrities tee-off to support bowel cancer research and awareness at Cabrini Health.

On Tuesday, 25 October 2011 at Kingston Health Golf Club, a number of celebrities teed off in support of Cabrini Health's "Let’s Beat Bowel Cancer Golf Classic".

Daryl Somers OAM, Geoff ‘Coxy’ Cox and John ‘Fitzy’ Fitzgerald were among the players at this annual event raising public awareness and support for bowel cancer research and education. It was the seventh time the event has been held.

This year there were 104 players, 28 sponsors, an auction which raised $23,900 and $52,000 in pledges, with the event exceeding it's fundraising goal of $150,000. The focus of the ‘Pledge Appeal’ was to seek support for the upcoming 2012 Cabrini Colorectal Fellowship Program at Cabrini Health.

Associate Professor Paul McMurrick, Clinical Dean Cabrini Monash University Department of Surgery and Colorectal surgeon at Cabrini Health, said, “ Funds are needed to support this program to contribute to the future colorectal surgery workforce and body of knowledge around critical colorectal diseases; the results of which will translate into providing the best care, with the best outcomes for all Australians.”

The golf day was a competition with some impressive displays of golfing expertise with Lee Davey from Art Series Hotel Group getting the nearest to the pin at hole 15 at 60cm. Nick Walker from Paradigm had the longest men’s drive of 285m. The winning team was NAB Private Wealth with Mercedes-Benz Melbourne, coming a close second.

Emeritus Professor Adrian Polglase, Founder, Patron and outgoing Chair of Let’s Beat Bowl Cancer said, “It was a great day and a great way to raise awareness for a disease which takes the life of one Australian every two hours.”

“More than 90% of patients can be cured if bowel cancer is detected early.  A simple home Faecal Occult Blood Test (FOB Test) every year can detect bowel cancer in it’s early stages leading to treatment and cure.  It is important we continue to raise awareness for bowel cancer and help prevent un-necessary deaths.” 

DID YOU KNOW...

• Bowel cancer is the most common internal cancer affecting men and women in Australia
• Around 4,000 Australians die each year from bowel cancer – that’s more than 70 people every week.
• Early detection through regular screening greatly increases the chance of survival.

The Let's Beat Bowel Cancer Committee extend sincere gratitude to the fanastic support of our sponsors of this years event.