Pink and Blue Breakfast

Pink & Blue form a Successful Duo for UOW

The 2010 eighth annual Pink Breakfast was held at UOW on Wednesday 27 October 2010 from 7am-9am in the University Hall with a twist of blue!

Over the past seven years it has become a symbol of hope and support for those in the campus community who have been affected by breast cancer. This year, in a nod to UOW staff’s growing support of the moustache growing tradition Movember, this year money raised will be going to the National Breast Cancer Foundation (NBCF) and Movember Foundation who support beyondblue and the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia. The breakfast in the University Hall attracted 326 people and is fast heading toward a $15 000 total.

David Reynolds returned as the MC in Pink with sidekick in blue Jessica Saad who also Chaired the committee for this year. Prostate cancer survivor and previous editor of the Illawarra Mercury Nick Hartgerink delivered the guest of honours address reminding men that early detection through examination was critical as not all outcomes are as fortunate as his.

One of the breakfast features was a Grease inspired sing along headed by Professor Will Price, Professor Luke McNamara and Professor Patrick Crookes, Deans of Science, Law and Health & Behavioural Sciences respectively at UOW.

An auction was conducted by Harry Kersten from Raine & Horne with John Steele from Human Resources biding $1150 for the coveted Robyn Weekes handmade quilt – a feature of the breakfast since it’s first year. 2010 marked the highest ever bid received for the quilt. In a charitable move, runner up bidder Elizabeth Eastland from the Research & Innovation Division offered to equal John’s bid if a second quilt was made and Robyn agreed to the request.

A standout of the breakfast was the Heads & Tails game where the ultimate prize was a 47 inch LCD HD Television donated by Baulderstone and The Good Guys Warrawong. Paul O’Halloran from ITC Ltd was the lucky winner.

A range of prizes were donated for raffles and auctions and the Pink & Blue Committee would like to thank UniCentre, Skydive the Beach, Travelscence, Ella Bache Wollongong, The Treatment Room, BlueLine Cruises, AHM, Beds R Us, Joyce Mayne Wollongong, Beca, Leisure Coast Limousines, SixySeven Dining, URAC, Captain Cook Cruises, Bellachara, Illawarra Fly, Rob Wright, Roadworx, Merrigong Theatre, Greater Union Cinemas Wollongong, Queens Pinch Winery, The Hermitage Mittagong, Delaneys Cakes, UniShop, and Crinis Fruit Shop. The Student Health Alliance for Rural Populations (SHARP) organisation also volunteered with other staff on the morning to help sell raffle tickets and balloons.

Competition winners were: Most Balloons –Sylvia Suttons Table, Best Dressed Table – Literally Grease & Lightening – A mixed team from Buildings & Grounds, Senior Project Managers and Finance, Best Dressed Male went to Professor Paul Chandler (Dean of Education), Runner up to Bobby Mazevski from ARD and Best Dressed Female went to Anne Peacock (ITC) with Professor Julie Steele as runner up.