Canteen is thrilled to have partnered with Tour de Cure at this year’s Snow Ball to raise more than $220,000 for our exciting Robots Service.
The Tour de Cure event brought together 1,200 guests on 18 June, including celebrity supporters, philanthropists, and corporate organisations, to raise money for cancer research, support, and prevention programs.
On the night, Canteen was given an opportunity to let the crowd know about the important work we do. We also spoke about how donations would support our Robots Service, which allows young cancer patients to stay connected to their friends, family, and their school community using a robot from their hospital bed. This is a critical support service as it helps to reduce feelings of isolation, anxiety, and depression during treatment.
Guests also heard from Alicia Hastie, cancer survivor and Canteen youth ambassador. She told the moving story about her diagnosis at 17, and how a lack of funding meant the Robots Service was unavailable to her during her treatment, which left her feeling isolated and lonely. Alicia urged the crowd to support the cause so that in the future, young cancer patients can stay connected in a way she couldn’t.
Jacqui Merriel, Communications Manager for Lagardere AWPL Retail Travel, shared the personal cancer story behind her involvement in Canteen as a Leadership partner. She too called on guests to join her as a supporter of Canteen’s initiatives.
And join her they did!
The generous support from Tour de Cure and Snow Ball guests means more young people have access to a robot for support. The funds go directly towards the purchase of new robots and move Canteen closer to the vision of ensuring every one of the 1,000 young cancer patients aged 15-25 diagnosed with cancer each year get a place on the Robots Service free of charge.
Canteen is thankful to Bruno Maurel, Dominique Robinson, the team from Tour de Cure and Snow Ball guests for contributing to the service.
Thanks also to Canteen partners including Chatime, Hilti, MedAdvisor and PMA Global who contributed on the night, and Haymes Paint and GKM Group who provided a gift in the lead up to the event.
You can watch the video to see how the night unfolded below and gift the Robots Service here.
