A charity gala held by Perth Children’s Hospital Foundation (PCHF) in partnership with Sydney Children’s Hospitals Foundation (SCHF) and the Children’s Cancer Institute (CCI) has raised over a million dollars in vital funds to help change the outcomes of cancer treatments for children.
The $1.33 million raised at the Gold Series Perth event, held at Montgomery Hall in Mount Claremont on Thursday 12 September, will support the development of new childhood cancer research across Australia with the opening of a fully integrated cancer centre.
The new centre will enable 900 researchers, clinicians and support staff to work together to focus on the common goal of curing children’s cancer and improve cancer outcomes for children with cancer.
The funds will also support the research of two of Western Australia’s top researchers looking into immunotherapy as a treatment for children with cancer.
Sadly, nearly 1,000 children and adolescents in Australia are diagnosed with cancer each year, and three children die from the disease every week. While eight out of ten children will survive, cancer still kills more children than any other disease in Australia.
The three not-for-profit organisations have together expressed deep gratitude for the generosity of the Perth community, celebrating the collective support of organisations and individuals to help sick children.
“The level of support shown by the Western Australian community has been nothing short of extraordinary,” Perth Children’s Hospital Foundation CEO Carrick Robinson said.
“Our shared vision is for a future where Australia leads the world in this vital field, and it’s only through our collective efforts that we can pave the way to give every child diagnosed with cancer a fighting chance at a healthier, happier future.”
Alex Harper, Geoff Baker, Georgina Egerton-Warburton, Rebecca Barber, Tania Graves and Sean Stephens.
Sydney Children’s Hospitals Foundation CEO Kristina Keneally thanked the donors and committee of Gold Series Perth 2024. “Gold Series Perth has shown philanthropy at its most powerful, making a lasting impact and changing the future for sick kids,” Ms Keneally said.
“We are deeply grateful to the dedicated Gold Series Perth committee for creating such a special event. Their efforts inspired the local community to raise significant funds to support lifechanging cancer research and treatment. It is only with the generosity of our donors and supporters that we can make a lasting impact on those who need it most.”
The 2024 Gold Series Perth committee members included notable Perth-based supporters, chair and philanthropist Bryce Sceresini, Ania Fry, Mei Yong and Sarita Escalante, with support from ABC Bullion and Essential Training.
The event received significant donations from Golden Group co-founder and chair Mimi Wong and managing director Andrew Sugiaputra alongside Laurence Escalante's Lance East Office. Prize partners included Laurence Escalante’s family office, Lance East Office, Tiffany & Co, ProMondo Sports, and Space Collective.
Gold Series Perth included attendance from guests including Minister for Health The Hon Amber-Jade Sanderson MLA, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Education Yaz Mubarakai, and Former Indigenous Affairs Minister Ken Wyatt.
Despite remarkable success in the treatment of many childhood cancers over the past two decades, significant challenges still exist. Outcomes for aggressive and relapsed cancers remain dismal and many survivors are often left with devastating side effects.
It currently takes an average of 17 years for research to progress to clinical practice – longer than the lifetime of many sick children.
Children’s Cancer Institute research group leader Professor Murray Norris AM said funding critical research not only helps improve cancer survival rates and outcomes for patients but can contribute to a cure for children’s cancer in a collective effort across research centres in Australia.
“Our focus has always been on translational research working closely with the clinicians at all the children’s hospitals across Australia including here in Perth. By working collaboratively, we can move discoveries from the lab bench to the bedside in children’s wards as quickly as possible,” Prof Norris explained.
“We have contributed significantly to improving survival rates by leveraging new technologies like genetic analysis and are confident that by working together through this fully integrated children’s comprehensive cancer centre, we can – and we will – cure every child of cancer in the foreseeable future.”
Watch Perth Children's Hospital Foundation's video on how the money raised at Gold Series Perth 2024 will be supporting new developments in the fight against childhood cancer.
