Pink Ribbon Breakfast a chance to raise breast cancer awareness

Rotorua's Renaata McGarvey is hosting a Pink Ribbon Breakfast later this month. Photo / Andrew Warner

For a local woman, hosting a Pink Ribbon Breakfast is a chance to raise awareness and dedicate a brunch to her mother.

May is Pink Ribbon Breakfast month, Breast Cancer Foundation NZ's biggest annual fundraising campaign.

Thousands of New Zealanders are inviting their friends, family or workmates to breakfast to raise funds for the foundation.

The money raised goes towards breast cancer education, innovative research, and support for patients and their families as they navigate through their breast cancer journeys.

About 90 women are diagnosed with breast cancer in the Lakes District Health Board area every year and around 15 will die from it.

Rotorua's Renaata McGarvey is hosting a Pink Ribbon Breakfast later this month after seeing an advertisement about it on television.

Her mother died from breast cancer a few months before Christmas, and she said a few family members died from cancer.

McGarvey said during the lockdown last year her mother got sick but thought it was related to her asthma.

Her mother went to the doctor and said her asthma was playing up, so she received more pumps.

However, in about September last year, she went back to the doctor for tests.

Her mother then received a call telling her she needed to go straight to Waikato Hospital, where she was told the tests showed she had breast cancer that had already spread to her lymph nodes.

"When mum told us, we were devastated.

"We didn't know much about it, every time her or the doctors used a huge word we had to Google it to see what it meant."

McGarvey will be holding a brunch for about 50 family members and close friends, with an aim of raising awareness, sharing information, and encouraging women to get check-ups.

"I have four sisters and lots of aunties, I don't want to lose more family members to breast cancer.

"So this Pink Ribbon Breakfast will be dedicated to my mum and helping out a good cause."

She said Whakarewarewa Tours had helped by donating food and prizes, and some of the goodies on the menu would be club sandwiches, lamingtons, curly fries, dumplings and steamed pudding.

McGarvey thanked all of her friends and family for supporting and donating to the cause.

Ah-Leen Rayner, chief executive of Breast Cancer Foundation NZ, said: "Pink Ribbon Breakfast is all about Kiwis coming together for one cause - to bring us a step close to our vision of zero deaths from breast cancer.

"More than 3300 New Zealand women are diagnosed with breast cancer each year, and by hosting a breakfast you'll be helping to make sure we can continue investing in ground-breaking research and providing free support services to patients."

Sign up at pinkribbonbreakfast.co.nz and you'll receive a free host kit with info and goodies to get started.