A successful first fundraiser was held on Sunday November 24, 2024 at the Pullman Albert Park Hotel, 65 Queens Road, Melbourne. Funds raised at the event were for the benefit of the Healthy Lifespan and Chronic Diseases Program at RMIT University School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, led by award-winning Cancer researcher, Distinguished Prof Vasso Apostolopoulos, AM, (and Prix Galien recipient 2025) who was the main guest speaker at the event. Prof Catherine Itsiopoulos from the RMIT School of Health and Biomedical Sciences was also a speaker at the event.​

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The main fund-raiser for the luncheon was the HEART TREE DEDICATION CEREMONY. Guests were invited to 'dedicate a heart to a loved one who has been diagnosed with Cancer, or to the memory of a loved one who has passed away from Cancer.'

The large Heart Tree picture was created by Founding Committee member, Author/Artist, Betty Coracas, who wrote the dedications on each heart as they were given to her.

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Gift hampers and other prizes were drawn with raffle tickets, while several works of art, some from Indigenous artists, and one from renowned cartoonist Michael Leunig, were auctioned with great results. BESI tote bags with the Mermaid picture, also completed by Betty Coracas, were sold on the day.

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President of BESI, Mr Leo A Eliades, asked for one minute's silence to remember those who have passed away from Cancer, including his father, Andrew Eliades, and Patrick Constantinou, the nephew of Betty Coracas, who died from Brain Cancer. The original Heart Tree picture was completed for Patrick while he was in palliative care, and dedicated to his memory.

 

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