Macclesfield’s Young at Heart Club members are determined to tip their total fundraising amount over $200,000 at their upcoming 16th Biggest Morning Tea.
The incredible feat is led by co-ordinator Cathy Megson-McAllister who has a strong connection to the cause.
“Our family has been impacted a fair bit with it,” she said.
“These things… give you inner strength – I’ve been so passionate about it.”
Ms Megson-McAllister was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma in 2005, and not long after, her dad was diagnosed with mesothelioma.
Then, while Ms Megson-McAllister was in hospital, her mum was diagnosed with liver and bowel cancer.
Sadly, she lost both parents while receiving treatment.
“It was pretty horrific,” she remembered.
In 2016, her “wonderful husband” Barry was also affected by the disease, diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia just days after their 10th wedding anniversary, and given just a couple of weeks to live.
At that stage, the Young at Heart Club was already hosting annual Biggest Morning Teas.
“Barry was so supportive and helped so much with the fundraising,” Ms Megson-McAllister said.
“He said to me, ‘you’ve got to keep doing this’ and that’s probably what made me even more passionate.”
He sadly passed away just two days after their 2016 Biggest Morning Tea.
Four years ago, Ms Megson-McAllister’s sister had 80 per cent of her stomach removed from cancer, and last year, she lost her “lovely sister-in-law”.
She has turned her grief into action by leading the group in raising a total of $181,000 so far, with about $23,000 raised last year including through donations, a Christmas raffle and exercise classes.
The Young at Heart Club members are all passionately driven by one goal – “we’ve got to find a cure”.
“Most of them in the club, in some way or other, have been impacted (by cancer) with either a friend, or lost a loved one, or been through treatment themselves,” Ms Megson-McAllister said.
“Everyone just feels they’ve got to find a cure for it – it’s just terrible.
“The Cancer Council does a fantastic job with the research they do.
“We’ve got to find a cure, perhaps for my great-grandchildren, they might be able to grow up in a world without the fear of having a cancer diagnosis.”
In their first year hosting a Biggest Morning Tea, Young at Heart Club members raised $960 which they deemed a “fantastic job”.
“Little did we know it would just explode,” Ms Megson-McAllister said.
“It’s just growing and growing.
“For our little town, I think we do a pretty good job.”
“There are so many people in the club – they work so hard and everybody is so willing to do so much.”
One year, the club’s fundraising total was the highest in the state.
Members made national headlines in 2019 after appearing on Sunrise, for a cheeky exposed photoshoot for a fundraising calendar inspired by the film Calendar Girls.
Member for Mayo, Rebekah Sharkie, will open the upcoming Biggest Morning Tea, which will include raffles, auctions, and a performance by “fantastic” and “very humorous” Young at Heart Club members.
Southern Argus Editor Sara Gilligan is among Macclesfield’s Biggest Morning Tea guest speakers, and has her own cancer journey to share.
The award-winning journalist has worked with a supportive team over the past 2.5 years to lift the historic publication to what it is today.
But in August 2021, one month before her 30th birthday, she received a phone call that would change her life.
Surviving a Stage 3 bowel cancer diagnosis, Ms Gilligan will share her journey through and after chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatment.
The Macclesfield resident encouraged people to come along in support and share a “cuppa for a cause”.
Many local residents and businesses have already offered “fantastic donations”, with attendees encouraged to bring a plate of food to share.
“We’d just like people to be very generous at the auctions, buy raffle tickets, buy from the stalls and have a great morning and enjoy it,” Ms Megson-McAllister said.
Macclesfield’s Biggest Morning Tea will be at Macclesfield Institute, on Wednesday, May 17, from 9am to 12.30pm.
For further information, contact Ms Megson-McAllister on: (0407 710 543) or (cathbazz@maccy.com.au).
