ELDERS Casterton has handed over 1/3 of the proceeds from the VW Auction conducted-at the Casterton Kelpie Auction in June of this year to the Casterton Memorial Hospital. The VW Beetle which was won by the Casterton Elders Branch in a national competition sponsored by Bayer Animal Health was sold at auction for $21,500 to the Mitchell family from Eltham in Melbourne.

In a generous gesture by the local Elders branch it was agreed to auction the car to benefit three worthy organisations with the proceeds split between Casterton Memorial Hospital, Ronald McDonald House and the McGrath Foundation.

15 year old Melinda McLeod wore a pink singlet at her last BMX race to raise awareness of breast cancer and promised to donate any prize money to the McGrath Foundation.

Melinda raced very hard and came in second at the BMX Meet in Rockhampton and donated all of the $250 prize money. She spoke to other racers and received an additional $100 donation from the Queensland BMX President.

The McGrath Foundation is absolutely delighted to announce that it has secured a contract with the Federal Government’s Department of Health and Ageing, for the placement of an additional thirty breast care nurses across Australia. In accordance with the Foundation’s objectives, 80% of the new nurses will be located in rural and regional areas of the country. Breast care nurse positions will be funded for a total of four years, and support will be provided to all states and territories. The Foundation has already commenced discussions with state and territory health departments and various area health services, to determine where the new nurses will be located.

The McGrath Foundation is thrilled that the importance of breast care nurses has been so strongly recognised and supported by the Federal Government, and believes this to be a fantastic opportunity to really improve the support provided to women diagnosed with breast cancer in Australia.

A recent article in the St George and Sutherland Shire Leader demonstrates the invaluable support provided by breast care nurses to women diagnosed with breast cancer across the country. The two nurses mentioned in the article were originally funded by the McGrath Foundation, before the securing of additional funding enabled the positions to be supported independently. The McGrath Foundation is delighted to see the outstanding role of these, and all breast care nurses, so publically recognised. Read the full article here.

Our very successful Ladies High Tea is coming up again on October 24 at Sydney’s Stamford Hotel in Double Bay, so keep your diary free on that day if you’re in Sydney. Alternatively, you can organize a Ladies High Tea in your own city or town for the McGrath Foundation, click here for details.

If you’d like to arrange your own Ladies High Tea to support the McGrath Foundation click here to register your interest

Don’t forget ‘Together we can make a Difference’.

After months of negotiations and recruitment our newest breast care nurses have now been employed. They are the first dedicated specialist breast care nurses to be employed within the Greater Southern Area Health Service of New South Wales.

Based in Moruya and the Bega Valley, the money to employ these specialist nurses was raised by the generosity of the Australian public, who donated over $200,000 in lieu of flowers on the passing of Belinda Emmett last year. In recognition of this, and in memory of Belinda Emmett, these nurses will be known as the Emmett McGrath Breast Care Nurses.

Andrea Franke joined the Eurobodalla Community Health Service and Jennifer Garner joined the Bega Valley Community Health Service as Emmett McGrath nurses on Monday 28th April 2008. Both positions are part time, but jointly make up a full time position, after the McGrath Foundation provided top-up funding to employ them for three years.

On Friday 22 February 2008, Sutherland District Cricket Club held a 'Tribute to Glenn McGrath' at Doltone House, Sylvania Waters, to celebrate Glenn's career for Australia, New South Wales and Sutherland. The evening was attended by 450 people and was an outstanding success. Alan Jones was the Master of Ceremonies and Shane Warne flew up from Melbourne to be the special guest.

Alan interviewed John Dyson (Glenn's first 1st Grade captain), Shane and finally Glenn, before Glenn responded with a moving speech thanking various people who helped him in his career and with the organisation of the tribute evening. He paid particular tribute to his wife Jane, who was not able to attend the evening.

A highlight of the evening was the announcement by the Mayor of Sutherland Shire, Councillor David Redmond, that Caringbah Oval was to be renamed Glenn McGrath Oval the following day.

Sutherland District Cricket Club subsequently made a donation to the Foundation of $25,000 out of the proceeds from the tribute evening.

In an exciting initiative instigated by the players themselves, the Cronulla Sharks are supporting the McGrath Foundation throughout the 2008 season with $500 per try scored in NRL matches. Click here for details.

Glenn McGrath & Gilly (Adam Gilchrist) collecting the 3 Mobile cheque donated to the Foundation for the pink glove campaign

Following the Australian success at the Boxing Day Test Match against India, the McGrath Foundation would like to thank Adam Gilchrist, Australian wicket keeper, for raising money and awareness for the Foundation with eight catches during the Match.

In addition, the Foundation would also like to thank Gilly’s personal sponsors, 3 Mobile, Travelex, Castrol, Milo and PUMA, who generously pledged money for each of Gilly’s catches with his pink PUMA keepers gloves.

The money raised from Gilly’s catches will help the McGrath Foundation place much-needed breast care nurses throughout rural and regional Australia as well as helping to educate young women to be ‘breast aware’.