Bree and Brittany wanted to do something to raise awareness for breast cancer.
This will be the second year Bree and her sister Brittany will be hosting a Girls’ Night In in honour of their mother, grandmother, and aunty, who have all been touched by breast cancer.
“Our grandma has had it twice, our mum got it at the end of 2012, and our aunty has been going through it since 1997,” shared Bree. “This is the fourth time it’s recurred for her, and it’s terminal; it’s in the bloodstream so it’s just in different areas all throughout her body.”
It was their aunt’s relapse that inspired the sisters to host their first Girls’ Night In. The two organised a night at their home in less than three weeks.
“Her cancer had come back and we just wanted to do something,” said Bree.
The sisters’ mum Deborah, grandma Lorna and Aunty Lisa have all been touched by breast cancer.
“We had around 50 women come. We made lots of hampers and had a raffle. We ended up raising just over $3,000, which I thought was really cool. I would have been happy with just $500!”
That’s why this year Bree and Brittany have decided to do it all again!
“We’ve started planning early for the 2018 event,” said Bree. “We’ve already contacted lots of local businesses. And we’ve actually had over $13,000 worth of product donated to us which is just phenomenal.
“We’ve also had to outsource the venue. The firehouse in Ringwood has given us their whole venue, so now we can have 250 women attend.
“We want to take it to the next level this year and make it bigger and better than ever,” she said.
Bree and Brittany have also secured guests speakers for the event. This is because they want to open up the important conversation about cancer prevention and early detection.
“We want to make it fun as well as informative, so we’re going to have a nurse come in to show the women how to check themselves and explain the early signs of cancer. If the event helps just one person, then we have done our job.”
Bree and Brittany hope that their Girls’ Night In will raise awareness for breast cancer and cancer research. They also hope that the night will help women support other women in who are going through a cancer experience.
“We want to provide a space where people feel comfortable and able to talk about their own stories,” said Bree. “We want people to know that there are people in the community who can assist you if you are going through this journey. It will bring awareness, bring people together it will just be a really fun night.”
Girls’ Night In raises funds for all women’s cancers including breast, ovarian, cervical and uterine. Register to host an event or make a donation today.