01 September 2015

Giving men tools to fight prostate cancer

Fundraising campaigns such as the 2015 Big Aussie Barbie campaign may be the key to reducing the impact of prostate cancer and seeing the first generation of men not die from the disease. This is the belief of Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia (PCFA) who has officially launched its major fundraising campaign for International Prostate Cancer Awareness Month.

PCFA has been running its Big Aussie Barbie campaign for six years and has successfully raised over $4 million through community barbecues and other affiliated initiatives. The money raised has helped to sustain ground-breaking research projects, awareness activities and an impressive support network.

It is through fundraising by the Biggest Ever Blokes Lunch initiative, which is part of PCFA’s Big Aussie Barbie campaign, that PCFA was able to recruit a new nurse to the Prostate Cancer Specialist Nursing Program.

According to Associate Professor Anthony Lowe, Chief Executive Officer of PCFA, people should not underestimate the power of community fundraising initiatives like the Big Aussie Barbie campaign and its impact on chronic diseases like prostate cancer.

“September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month and the perfect time for Australians to have a Big Aussie Barbie. Community fundraising allows us to propel new research projects, establish new support programs and improve education about early detection. If we want to see the first generation of men who will not die of prostate cancer we need to be in a position where we can continue to support researchers working to improve testing methods and therapies, continue to support nurses that guide men through their treatment and continue to support education initiatives that lead to early detection of the disease,” said Associate Professor Lowe.

International cricket legend Matthew Hayden AM is the official ambassador for the Big Aussie Barbie campaign and is urging all Australians to back the initiative.

“The Big Aussie Barbie campaign is a simple way Australians can help PCFA reach its goal. It is about turning your barbecues into Big Aussie Barbies where you can fundraise and talk to your friends and family about prostate cancer,” said Matthew.

As Associate Professor Lowe points out, “it is all about mobilising as many resources as possible to help reduce the impact and change the course of the disease. Over 3,000 men are still falling victim to prostate cancer each year in Australia and we hope this campaign can help save and improve the quality of life of affected men.”

CommBank has been a supporter of PCFA since 2000 and continues to be the major sponsor of the Big Aussie Barbie campaign.

Ian Narev, Commonwealth Bank Chief Executive Officer, said, “We are proud to once again be supporting the Big Aussie Barbie. Many Australians are impacted by prostate cancer each year and we want to help. Our people will be rallying the community by hosting barbecues throughout September to raise awareness and funds to fight prostate cancer.”

How can you get involved?

  • Visit www.bigaussiebarbie.com.au and register your barbecue.
  • Invite friends, family, neighbours and work colleagues to come along to your Big Aussie Barbie.
  • Collect donations (no matter how big or small) to help support and sustain PCFA’s research, awareness and support services.
  • Follow PCFA’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to get all the latest Big Aussie Barbie news.
  • Inspire others by sharing your own Big Aussie Barbie photos (don’t forget to include #BigAussieBarbie).
  • Remember to serve lean meats, fresh salads and vegetables and keep the consumption of processed meats and alcohol to a minimum.