By KARINA MAY
THE loss of a mother and aunt to breast cancer and a lack of support services for those suffering from the disease have driven local man Laurie Stevens to turn Noosa Sound pink this August.
Laurie, along with his son and owner of Boardwalk Boats Lachlan, are the driving force behind the community event Paddle in Pink that will be held on 30 August at Noosa Sound.
Laurie said due to their family history with the illness, he and Lachlan felt a personal obligation to raise awareness of breast cancer within the community and hoped to raise much-needed funds by encouraging locals to dress in pink, jump on a board and help turn Noosa Sound into a sea of pink for the event.
Sadly, both Laurie’s mother and aunt have passed away from breast cancer and along with this loss is the feeling that if they had known more about it, and the process involved, they could have done more as a family to provide support.
Laurie said after losing his aunt, he felt the family should have been more prepared.
“Particularly when my aunty suffered from it, then my mother came with it some years later, you think, shouldn’t you be more onto it, shouldn’t you be doing more about it?” he said.
“Are there more facilities available to support while it’s happening as well? There can’t be enough of that.”
Laurie said it was these questions that led him and Lachlan to offer free therapeutic recreation for women who were currently suffering from breast cancer or were survivors of the terrible disease.
Therapeutic recreation gives women the chance to meet others in similar circumstances while experiencing the positive outcomes of physical exercise, and classes are held at Boardwalk Boats behind the Sheraton Resort every Wednesday morning from 7.30am.
In addition to this, Lachlan and Laurie want to see breast cancer become 100 per cent survivable, which is why the Paddle in Pink event is so important to them, as it will raise funds for research.
All proceeds from the event, including any board hire from Boardwalk Boats, will be donated to the National Breast Cancer Foundation.
They encourage everyone to be involved and to register online prior to the day at www.paddleinpink.gofundraise.com.au.
By doing their part for the community, Laurie and Lachlan hope to see a future where no-one has to experience the loss they have.
