I am aiming to raise money for charity and I would welcome any contribution, great or small, that you could make!

PLEASE help me raise funds towards desperately needed research into Pancreatic Cancer by coming along to this fun family-friendly walk on Sunday, 4th May. All profits will be invested in Pancreatic Cancer research carried out in the name of Avner's Foundation. If you can't make the walk, please consider sponsoring us or making a donation.

Time:10.15am
Distance: 5km
Start and finish point: Peppercorn Lawn in Alexandra Gardens
Access Point: Meet at Peppercorn Lawn, Alexandra Gardens, behind the boatsheds.
Participation: Family $60 (2 adults and 3 children up to age 16); Adult $25; Children $5 (under 5 free).
Dress Code: We encourage participants to wear purple, the colour of Pancreatic Cancer for the walk.

We are hoping that as purple-clad supporters, we will help raise awareness to the broader community about this horrifyingly deadly disease and all profits raised will go towards research to help achieve Avner's Foundation Vision of doubling the number of Pancreatic Cancer survivors by 2020.

As many of you know, after fighting for 21 months,my beautiful Mum, Helen lost her battle with pancreatic cancer at just 45 years old. The diagnosis of this disease is effectively a death sentence, with just five per cent of sufferers surviving after five years.

Cancer is a cruel game of chance. If you're 'lucky' enough to be diagnosed today with breast cancer, you have a very good chance of survival - 89%. For prostate cancer it's 92%. Melanoma is 90%. Bowel cancer's 66%. The link? They've all had well-funded, well-organised awareness campaigns.

If you're 'unlucky', you'll be diagnosed with one of the forgotten cancers: liver (survival rate: 15%), pancreatic (5%), gynaecological, including ovarian and cervical (as low as 20%), lung (12-15%) or brain cancer (5-20%). In hospitals and hospices around the country, families are dealing with the brutal mathematical reality: awareness equals donations. Donations equal research. Research equal advances in treatment. Advanced treatment equals survival.

The key point is that pancreatic cancer's poor prognosis is a direct consequence of too little investment in research. Imagine how it feels to be told, "There's nothing, really, we can do. There are no clinical trials. There are no new treatments available." In very recent news, for the first time pancreatic cancer patients have been offered hope and a chance to extend their life thanks to a drug called Abraxane which has been clinically proven to increase pancreatic cancer patients’ survival rate by almost 30 per cent when used with existing therapy. However, unfortunately the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee have rejected Abraxane on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme.This would mean that someone with pancreatic cancer would be required to pay about $15,000 for 3 months worth of Abraxane to be included in their treatment regime. Why else is this not fair? Abraxane is already listed on the PBS to treat breast cancer for just $36.10 a month. But an application to subsidise Abraxane for metastatic pancreatic cancer was rejected on Tuesday.

Please help raise awareness by donating and walking with us on Sunday, 4th May. Walk for those who were diagnosed yesterday, today and tomorrow. I will be walking for Helen.