Can Assist grateful for community’s continued support

Can Assist Gunnedah has expressed its gratitude to the community for its continued support.

The not-for-profit organisation which supports local cancer patients recently staged a highly successful night of entertainment at Club Gunnedah.

On the same evening, it was also the beneficiary of a generous donation from an event staged at the Gunnedah Town Hall.

Great Aussie yarns were the focus of an evening of entertainment, with Can Assist welcoming well-known poets Marco Gliori and Murray Hartin to town.

Live music was also provided by Steve McCauley and Trevor Stacey.

Can Assist president Kate Knight and secretary Linda Lee spoke with the Gunnedah Times about their recent activities, including what they both described as an amazing night of entertainment in the Club Gunnedah auditorium.

The dinner evening was attended by about 120 people.

“It looked amazing. We were really rapt to get that many people,” Linda said.

Sandra Mitchell and Louise Jaeger.

The event was also a tremendous fundraising success, with one special surprise on the night.

The Club Gunnedah Fishing Club, which often provides a donation to Can Assist, this year presented a cheque of $5,000 to the organisation.

“We were just blown away by their generous donation,” Kate said.

“It was a fun night. Everyone just really enjoyed themselves,” Linda said.

While an entertaining evening was underway at Club Gunnedah, the organisation was also helping to man the door at the She Sings event at the Town Hall.

The group provided a raffle on the night for the all-women singalong event hosted by former local Lucy Ravenwood (nee Amos).

Lucy donated part of the ticket sales to the not-for-profit.

Can Assist said Lucy had generously partnered with the organisation in recent events.

Word is also quickly spreading about Can Assist’s great catering services.

Trevor Stacey, Steve McCauley, Marco Gliori and Murray Hartin provided the entertainment at the recent Can Assist fundraising event.

The group’s volunteers were busy providing food for a recent GoCo movie day and put on a delicious spread for the Dorothea Mackellar Memorial Society’s poetry awards ceremony.

These activities follow the recent annual general meeting for the organisation, marking a very busy start to the new Can Assist year.

“We’re very passionate about what we do,” Kate said.

Can Assist has offered its thanks to generous sponsors and to the broader community which continues to back the important role it plays in the district.

The money raised from the community events, as well as the generous donations, will go a long way to support the branch, which has been in operation since 1958.

The Gunnedah branch is among Can Assist’s first branches.

Volunteers are often seen at various community events, or staging their own fundraisers to ensure cancer patients receive financial assistance.

“The money that is raised locally, stays local,” Linda said.

Leigh MacPherson, Mariann Nowland and Linda Lee.

For people living in rural areas, a cancer diagnosis is not only hard to navigate emotionally but also financially.

It often means travel, sometimes at great distances, for medical and specialist appointments, treatments and surgeries.

Can Assist financial assistance can help with travel costs and accommodation, pharmacy expenses, medical bills and eligible household expenses including utility bills, rates and food vouchers.

Applications for assistance can be made by patients or healthcare professionals on behalf of a patient, and must include details from a healthcare professional (eg local doctor, oncology social worker or oncology nurse) confirming a current cancer diagnosis.

Kate and Linda are quick to reassure people that all assistance provided is strictly confidential.

“It’s a very confidential process,” Kate said.

Further information about Can Assist, and its assistance, is available on the Can Assist website. Local people can also email [email protected] or phone 0455 135 973.