AU – ‘Clear the head, make a difference’ … Dry July!

Dry July Marketing

Dry July (dryjuly.com) is an Australian fundraiser that challenges you to go booze-free for a month to support adults living with cancer. The benefit of this fundraiser is that you get to raise money by not doing something, while it helps you get healthy while helping others. This ‘light-hearted approach’ raises serious funds’ for 47 different cancer services across Australia and New Zealand each year – 2014 raised an incredible $3.8 million!

Patients and staff alike enjoyed the food on offer

On Wednesday 24th June, the St Vincent’s Hospital teamed up with the Rapid Relief Team to increase awareness for the Dry July campaign, and raise funds for the cancer centre at St Vincent’s by hosting a BBQ near the entrance to the hospital. The St Vincent’s team worked hard collecting donations for the campaign, by selling the food cooked by the RRT to visitors, patients (many appreciating a change from hospital food!) and staff from the hospital.

The Dry July Team worked alongside the RRT on the day

Many brochures and information packs were handed out, encouraging people to sign up to the Dry July campaign and join or donate to the ‘Team St Vincents’ which the fundraising team at the hospital has set up.

Paramedics visited for some food

The day was a great success with approximately 350 sausages in bread and 250 egg and bacon rolls being enjoyed, many of the customers coming back for seconds…

The set-up in front of the St Vincent’s Hospital

The RRT was very pleased to have the further opportunity to help to make a positive difference to the lives of adults living with cancer at the dryjuly.com fund-raising event on 1st July 2015.

A crew of hungry customers at Alfred Hospital

This second event was held at the Alfred Hospital in Melbourne, and over $109,000 was raised by the Dry July team who combined with the RRT to provide an exceptionally entertaining and successful day.

The Production Line

From 12:00pm – 3:00pm RRT cooked and sold over 300 gourmet burgers, along with cold drinks which the public donated very generously for. The Dry July team also did a raffle for multiple items including some large fruit hampers. Old and young enjoyed coming along to listen to the RRT band and watching the RRT cooks in ‘rapid mode’!

The RRT Band entertained customers

The generosity of the ‘customers’ was very inspiring to witness and be a part of. As always, the RRT was very impressed with the dedication of the hospital staff, as well as kindness of the customers – many generous donations came through, including a box of fresh oranges from Mildura! For some of the other terrific work done by Dry July, see https://au.dryjuly.com/news/news-article?id=122748828485.