44 | THE BAROSSA MAG |
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Those brightly coloured symbols of new life now form part of the BAFFC logo which feature on two cars, driven by volunteers, which the group provide for cancer patients needing to travel to the city for treatment.
“ The butterfly – it’ s the start of a new beginning,” Julie says of the colourful symbol adoring the vehicles that need replacing every two years due to the sheer number of kilometres clocked up.
Today, the group number more than 25 volunteers, including two“ brave” men, and are nothing short of master fundraisers.
“ We are down pat with doing stuff now, we are so fine-tuned!” laughs Tash.
They’ ve hosted pyjama parties, girl’ s nights, giant auctions and raffles, speak to organisations and rattle tins. Julie even admits to talking four“ hot guys” into taking off their shirts for the highest bidder at one event, raising an extra $ 600 in the process.
“ Our motto is to never miss an opportunity!” she says.
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Projects BAFFC now fund include home assistance, palliative care rooms, resources at local libraries and massage therapy as well as a wig programme, prosthesis fittings and much more.
Even something as simple as cosy blankets lovingly made by local“ Probus knitting ladies” gifted to palliative care patients or silk“ chemo caps” for those who have lost their hair are initiatives facilitated by the group.
“ The McGrath breast care nurse loves us because she says we are the only region that do what we do,” says Tash.
“ We have all these people‘ on tap’,” she says of their impressive network which includes a range of service providers and volunteers who give of their time and talent.
“ It’ s kind of grown a little bit bigger than Ben Hur, but that’ s fantastic- it’ s just amazing, people are so generous.”
Further afield, BAFFC have purchased specialised equipment for hospitals where locals frequent, things like $ 9,000“ acuvein” devices to
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help nursing staff find veins for chemotherapy and blood warming machines to reduce pain during transfusions.
“ There are all those little things that make a difference.”
Describing themselves as“ well organised, mature, rat bags,” BAFFC is more than a fundraising group, it’ s friends wanting to giving back.
“ We are group of volunteers who have now become family,” says Julie.
“ We are looking out for each other’ s needs as well as the community’ s and I think if we can be of any help to anyone who is travelling with this terrible disease, and it’ s an expensive disease, there are no two ways about it; if we can financially assist and support, that’ s what we’ ll do.”
The duo know only too well how valuable such support can be through their personal experience.
Tash was just 31 years old when she was diagnosed with breast cancer.
“ I didn’ t have chemo or radiation therapy, but I did have
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my breast removed,” she says.
“ For me there was that connection to the people in the group … It was more about feeling like I needed to do something. With all the terribleness of it all, it was nice to do something to make it better.
“ There are times when I’ m so busy I’ m like gosh, I don’ t have time for this! But, then there’ s this little birdie on my shoulder saying you know what? This is what you need to do.”
Julie agrees, she too has dedicated her time for a heartfelt reason. Her husband, Roy passed away from lung cancer 20 years ago.
When Roy was diagnosed, there was little support available during the 12 weeks before he died.
“ We just came out of the doctor’ s room … we drove home and I thought what do we do now?
“ Even the palliative care rooms … I used to sit there and there was nothing. There was a plastic clock on the wall, a chair and a bed. It was so stark.”
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