Kate Barlow has personal reason to help Pink Ribbon street appeal

Kate Barlow is the Pink Ribbon Street Appeal co-ordinator for Pāpāmoa and Mount Maunganui.

Kate Barlow has a special reason for supporting the Breast Cancer Foundation.

Kate has been the appeal co-ordinator for Pāpāmoa and Mount Maunganui for four years.

This year’s appeal is coming up on October 27 and 28.

Six years ago her mum died from breast cancer when Kate was 21.

“It’s something close to my heart and I just want to help out as much as I can. I do a [Pink Ribbon] Breakfast in May and the street appeal in October,” she says.

Her mum, Michelle Dixon, got a lot of support from the Breast Cancer Foundation.

“There was Look Good, Feel Good, activities, they put on quite a lot, and help with her wig and things like that as well.”

Kate started volunteering in Timaru, initially as a collector at the appeal. When she moved to Pāpāmoa, she put her hand up to be the street appeal co-ordinator.

She says she will continue to support the trust and its activities, and is currently growing her hair so it can be used to make a wig.

“I’ve got to get it to 35cm — I think I’m at about 30 at the moment. I’ll do a big thing at work when it’s time to cut it off.”

She says the job of street appeal co-ordinator is “massive”.

“It’s definitely fulfilling though.”

Nine collection sites between Pāpāmoa and the Mount will operate on October 27 and some the next day.

“The earliest starts at 8am and the latest finishes at 9pm.”

Kate has most two-hour shifts covered for the Friday, but could do with more volunteers on the Saturday.

She visits all the sites throughout the day to check things are going smoothly and everyone has what they need.

Prior to the collection she is busy finding volunteers, organising volunteer packs and seeking out businesses that might like to donate drinks to volunteers.

The Breast Cancer Foundation’s chief executive, Ah-Leen Rayner, says: “The Pink Ribbon Street Appeal is one of our biggest fundraisers and it couldn’t go ahead without amazing volunteers.

“As a charity doing vital work to stop Kiwis dying of breast cancer, we rely entirely on the goodwill of generous New Zealanders.

“By contributing just two hours of your time, you’ll be making a massive difference to help us to kick breast cancer to the kerb this Breast Cancer Awareness Month.”

Every year, around 190 women are diagnosed with breast cancer in the Bay of Plenty region.

All of the money raised from the Pink Ribbon Street Appeal goes towards Breast Cancer Foundation New Zealand’s work to advance breast cancer research.

The foundation also educates Kiwis about the importance of early detection, and supports patients through their treatment and recovery.

Anyone wanting to volunteer in the Mount and Pāpāmoa area can contact Kate on 027 320 0221 or register at the Pink Ribbon website.