In our first year RAC was able to donate more that $13,000 to cancer related causes. This is a great result, but who did that money go to and, more importantly, why?
We try to keep most of the donations local, helping those in our immediate community. Our main choice of charity is the Cancer Society, Manawatu. Their mission is to reduce the incidence and impact of cancer in Aotearoa, and their goal is to be a respected voice on cancer prevention, care and survivorship. They received $3,100 from the 2022 Show n Shine, and $5,110 from the Ride in Support.
The Cancer Society is local and they are there to support anyone with any cancer. The range of support services they offer is diverse, including transport to treatment, hospital and home help, counselling and information. There are support groups and one-on-one support, help with wigs and prosthetics, meditation and exercise groups, along with financial help when needed and the cancer helpline for when leaving home isn't an option.
232 new cancer patients supported in 2023.
Support services make up 41% of all expenses that are incurred by the Cancer Society Manawatu, costing more than $401,000 in 2023.
56 volunteer drivers travelling an impressive 110,621km, transported 401 cancer patients to their medical appointments, donating over 3,790 hours of their time.
Alongside the large range of support services, the Cancer Society also provide advocacy and health promotion, looking toward cancer prevention.
RAC was introduced to Camp Quality at the beginning of 2023, where we were invited to come along for a morning and provide the kids with motorbike rides. This highlighted what Camp Quality is all about and opened up a conversation with how we could help them further. The Children's Charity Ride was created just for this.
It costs around $2,700 to support one child at camp for a week. Our first Children's Charity Ride raised $3,100.
Each year around 70 children attend the week-long Camp Quality Summer Camp at various locations throughout the North Island participating in numerous fun activities.
Camp Quality Campers are children, 5 to 16 years of age, who have been diagnosed with cancer.
Camp Quality programmes provide a stress-free and caring environment for the children where fun and friendship are combined with achievable challenges - allowing the children to “just be kids”. They get a sense of normality and independence and focus on the positive aspects of their lives.
Camp Quality passionately believes in the power of fun to help children and their families overcome the challenges that living with cancer can bring. Each year Camp Quality programmes cater for around 300 children at various locations around the country.
Through Camp Quality, families get a much needed break and the opportunity to spend time with other siblings while their child is at camp. They do so with the assurance that Camp Quality has the finest programmes, staff, Companions, medical care and safety procedures in place.
The rest of the donations went slightly further afield with The Breast Cancer Foundation and the Prostate Foundation. Both of these charities are national based and monies donated go to research and support for these specific cancers.
We kickstart this financial year by looking at donating to Ozanam House, and already have our first major fundraiser for the Cancer Society under our belt, with the Show n Shine raising more than $5,800.
Looking further afield, RAC Canterbury is beginning to grow and have the team needed to run a charity event. So this year we will hold two Ride in Support Events. One in Central on 21 January, the second in Canterbury on 4 February.
Comments