By JESSE GRAHAM
A HEALESVILLE bakery has raised hundreds of dollars for brain cancer research after tragic news close to home, in a four-day fund-raiser earlier this month.
Healesville’s Wild Grains Bakehouse ran a fund-raiser for the Cure Brain Cancer Foundation, from Thursday 9 to Sunday 12 July.
Lapel ribbons were on sale at the business for a donation, with all profits going to the foundation, and $1 from every coffee and $2 from specially-made cake pops were also donated.
All-up, the bakery raised $1552, according to Wild Grains’ Julie-Anne Demanuele.
Ms Demanuele and her colleague, Brittany Anson, told the Mail the fund-raiser was organised after the tragic news that their co-worker’s husband, who is living with the disease, had just weeks left to live.
The bakery was aiming to raise at least $1000 for the foundation as a show of support, and easily passed that goal.
“We were pleased with that,” Ms Demanuele said.
“We really didn’t have any idea what kind of response we’d have – we were hoping for $250 a day, and we went over that, so it’s great.”
She said the fund-raiser was well-supported by the community, and that visitors gave positive feedback on the event – including some Mail readers, who came in after reading about the fund-raiser online.
“We had a busy day on Thursday and Friday – Saturday and Sunday, in the shop, it was cold weather and we didn’t have a great, busy day,” Ms Demanuele said.
“Keeping that in mind, it was still a good outcome.”
She said the staff were sporting beanies – one of the more public symbols for brain cancer awareness – through the fund-raiser.
Wearing a beanie for brain cancer awareness was made famous earlier this year, when The Project presenter, Carrie Bickmore, wore a beanie at her Gold Logie acceptance speech for her late husband, Greg, who died of the disease.
According to the Cure Brain Cancer Foundation, the disease has a very high mortality rate; roughly two in 10 people diagnosed survive for more than five years.
To donate to the fund-raiser visit Wild Grains Bakehouse at 201a Maroondah Highway, Healesville, or www.curebraincancer.org.au.
