By JESSE GRAHAM
AFTER raising thousands of dollars for the Cancer Council, what do you do next? Try to double your effort, of course.
At least, that’s the approach of Yarra Glen’s Concetta Rizza, who is hoping to follow up on the hugely successful Biggest Morning Tea in 2015 with an event on 25 June.
From 10.30am on the Saturday, residents and visitors are expected to flock to the Yarra Valley Racecourse on Armstrong Grove for a day of entertainment for a good cause.
Ms Rizza, who organised the event, said the whole town had come on board, with primary school children designing posters to promote the event and local celebrity Bonnie Anderson set to perform at the racecourse.
The Steels Creek Association together with businesses in town are supporting the event.
“It’s wonderful to see the community get together, because the community is really behind it,” she said.
“Every day, I’m getting people who are coming in and offering their assistance.”
She said that farm animals, face painting and live performances were part of the attraction to the event, with personal trainer and three-time cancer survivor Andy Zagami speaking on the day.
Copies of his books will also be on sale, with $5 from each copy donated to the Cancer Council of Victoria – which will also receive the money raised on the day.
Ms Rizza raised $8700 last year at a Biggest Morning Tea event in town, and said she hoped to double that amount this year – as well as push the attendance up from 200 to 500 people.
“At the end of the day, if we get the same amount, we’ve done well,” she said.
“At the end of the day, it’s $8000 that the Cancer Council didn’t have for research.”
She said that getting the primary schools involved in this year’s event was also about raising awareness of cancer, and how it affected people from all walks of life.
“I really want to make the young ones understand how cancer really affects us,” she said.
“That’s where I want the awareness – it can happen to any of us, and how important it is for us to have a really good life.”
The posters are on display at numerous businesses around Yarra Glen, and residents can vote for their favourite for a gold coin donation – the winners will receive prizes at the event.
Entry to the Biggest Morning Tea event is $15.
For more information about the event, visit www.facebook.com/biggestmorningteayarraglen.
