Maitland Cancer Appeal Committee Incorporated

When Alice Bennis lost her daughter to leukemia and her mother and brother also to cancer, she made a pact to help find a cure to the insidious disease.

With the help of friends Lesley Flannery and Ingrid Heyman, Maitland Branch of the Hunter Valley Cancer Appeal Committee was established in April 1982.

Later the organization became Maitland Cancer Appeal Committee Inc. a registered charity set up to raise funds to donate to organizations in the Hunter Valley, who are performing research into cancer.

The committee has an Op Shop and Linen Service for Terminally ill cancer patients, at Rutherford.

The committee initially donated funds to Maitland Hospital, The Mater Hospital and Wallsend Hospitals for equipment, special care beds, machinery and towards the establishment of cancer wards.

From 2007 onwards the money has all been donated towards Cancer Research.

A donation of $400,000 anticipated at the Committee’ 40th Birthday Celebrations in April 2022 will bring the total monies donated to well over $3,000,000 ; $2,000,000 of which has been donated to research.

 

Timeline Of Money Raised and Donations Made mostly as reported in newspaper articles

1989

First NBN Telethon was held to raise money for Children’s Cancer Services.

1992

$20000 donated to The Mater Hospital oncology unit towards second Mammography machine, which will cost $80000

1993

$50,000 donated to Oncology Unit at The Mater Hospital for 2nd Linear Accelerator

Electric Lifter and 3 portable syringe drivers donated to Palliative Care at Maitland Hospital

Oxygen Concentrator donated to Maitland Community Health Centre

Donations to Wallsend Melanoma Clinic

1995

$4500 to Kurri Hospital for 2 wheelchairs,2 patient-controlled analgesia machines, Graseby Syringe Driver Pump

$5500 to Maitland Hospital for a shower bed

1996

Enough money raised to purchase delivery van with assistance from Maitland Toyota

$6000 to Orthopedic Ward at Royal Newcastle Hospital for furniture & equipment

1997

Newspaper article about Alice’s work says that the appeal has raised 100s of thousands of dollars for medical equipment

1998

$10890 donated to refurbish a room at John Hunter Children’s Hospital

$3995 donated to equipment to Ronald McDonald House

$596 donated to equipment to The Mater

$5500 shower bed for Maitland Hospital

1999

$11000 donated to the new Chemotherapy Unit at The Mater Hospital towards the purchase of 10 recliner chairs for patients while they receive chemotherapy. Numbers of people receiving chemo have risen from 2000 in 1988 to 8000 in 1996.

$6000 donated to Maitland Hospital for 2 x patient controlled analgesic machines

2000

$20100 donated to the Children’s Cancer Ward at John Hunter Hospital

2001

$35000 donated to Maitland Hospital for 10 electronically operated beds with mattresses to relieve pressure

$12000 donated to Mater Hospital for 4 x CADD Pumps which enabled Cancer patients to be more comfortable at home while receiving treatment.

2002

$40000 donated to The Mater Hospital for 5 new hydraulic stretchers for the Accident &Emergency Department

2003

$4981 donated to the Wig Library at The Mater Hospital for refurbishments

2005

$31750 donated to The Mater Hospital for 5 electric beds and special mattresses for cancer patients

2006

Community Appeal launched by Cancer Appeal to help fund an Oncology Day Unit at The John Hunter Children’s Hospital.

$10,000 donated to The Mater Wig library to buy wigs

2007

$100,000 to The John Hunter Children’s Hospital Oncology Day Unit. The$750,000 day unit was funded completely by community donations and completed in 2008 by Norths Constructions

$50000 donated to Professor John Forbes for the ANZ Breast Cancer Trials group

$30000 donated to Professor Peter Hersey for the Hunter Melanoma Foundation

2009

$50000 donated to Professor Jim Benham for the Prostate Cancer Awareness Treatment Group

2010

$50000 donated to Dr Janette Sakoff for Bowel Cancer Research

$50000 donated to Professor Philip Rowling for Leukemia Research

$20000 donated to Professor Peter Hersey for the Hunter Melanoma Foundation

2011

$50000 donated to Associate Professor Phil Hansbro for Lung

$50000 donated to Professor Pablo Moscato for Brain Tumour

2012

$100,000 donated to donated to Professor Peter Hersey for the Hunter Melanoma Foundation

$100,000 donated to Professor Philip Rowling for Leukemia Research trials

$100,000 donated to Professor Jim Benham for the Prostate Cancer Awareness Treatment Group

2013

$100000 donated to Professor Pablo Moscato for Brain Tumour Research

https://mrag.org.au/whats-on/op-shop-passport/

2014

$100000 donated to Professor Jim Benham for the Prostate Cancer Awareness Treatment Group

$100000 donated to Professor Pablo Moscato for Brain Tumour Research

2015

$100000 donated to Professor Philip Rowling for Leukemia Research trials

2017

$100000 donated to Dr Nikola Bowden for Ovarian Cancer Research

$200000 donated to Professor Hondormark for Medical Research Cancer Research Program – Pancreatic Cancer

2019

$100000 donated to Professor Phil Hansbro for Lung Cancer Research

2022

$400,000 donated at the Committee’s 40th Birthday Luncheon Celebration held at Club Maitland City and attended by approximately 70 people. $100,000 each to Ovarian, Children’s Brain cancer, Pancreatic and Lung Cancer research.

Timeline Of Committee’s Achievements

1982 – Committee Formed in April

1995 – Linen Service Established in John St East Maitland with small Op Shop in September

1995 – Premier’s Award received for establishing the Linen Service

1996 – Van purchased for pick and delivery of linen

1999- Building purchased at Rutherford and converted to a laundry and Op shop

2018 – Jenny Aitchison read a Community Recognition Statement about The Cancer Appeal in Federal Parliament 

Recognition Statement

2020 - Newcastle University 

2022 – Professor Denham donated $200,000 which was from donations collected for a clinical trial for Prostate trials that never proceeded.

2022 - $400,000 donated at the Committee’s 40th Birthday Luncheon Celebration held at Club Maitland City and attended by approximately 70 people. $100,000 each to Ovarian, Children’s Brain cancer, Pancreatic and Lung Cancer research.

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