The Mater Cars for Cancer Lottery is one of many Mater Foundation initiatives raising funds and awareness for cancer research and treatment.
Other initiatives and partnerships include:
Smiling for Smiddy
On Saturday, 5 September 2009, 50 riders and support crew will depart Brisbane to tackle a charity bike challenge over eight days of gruelling riding covering 1600 kilometres, without any rest days - arriving in Home Hill on Saturday, 12 September.
The ride is to commemorate the life of physiotherapist, and keen triathlete, Adam Smiddy. Adam passed away in August 2006 from an aggressive cancer at age 26. The aim of the ride is to honour his life by raising significant funds for the research and treatment of cancer through the Adam Smiddy Cancer Fund at the Mater Foundation.
The Mater Foundation is again the major beneficiary in 2009, where funds raised will support melanoma drug trials, prostate cancer research and complementary therapies for cancer patients. Some funds from the Smiddy Challenge will also be donated to support regional centres.
Prostate Cancer Capital Campaign
This is a dedicated campaign raising funds specifically for research into Prostate Cancer at the Mater Medical Research Institute.
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in Australian men and the second biggest cause of cancer deaths in males. It claims almost 3,000 lives a year—around the same number as breast cancer.
Today, there are more than 61,000 men fighting prostate cancer in Australia and another 19,000 will be diagnosed this year. Many of these men are watching the research at the Mater with eager interest.
Just imagine how many families will lose fathers, sons, brothers and grandfathers to prostate cancer, a disease that affects one in nine Australian men. This figure grows to one in three for men who have a family history of prostate cancer.
Current screening methods are by no means perfect and treatment is invasive with side effects that most men don’t like to think about. There is an urgent need for better treatments, and ultimately a cure. At the Mater Medical Research Institute the search for both is underway.