Mystery cruise drives cancer home

Car enthusiasts dressed their cars and themselves in pink to raise money for breast cancer research. Ray Buckley, Cathie Schubert, Karyn Davies and Mike Davies all got into the pink theme for the Pink Ribbon May Mystery Cruise. Photo / George Novak

Car enthusiasts decorated themselves and their cars in pink for breast cancer yesterday.

More than 200 people turned up for the Pink Ribbon May Mystery Cruise to help raise money for Pink Ribbon Breakfasts.

Organiser Cathi Barker said she put together the event at Bushy Park, Pyes Pa, because breast cancer affected everyone.

"Six hundred women a year are diagnosed with breast cancer - it could be your mother, grandmother, an aunty or a friend."

She had lost an aunty to the disease, while her husband had lost his sister when she was 32 and his mother was diagnosed at 72.

The 213 people who attended were able to raise $1630, which would go to the NZ Breast Cancer Foundation.

Mrs Barker said on the day lots of people bought their own prizes, which they were then able to auction off during the event.

The activists have also planned a Blue September to raise awareness of men's prostate and testicular cancer.

While 600 women were diagnosed a year, 3000 men were diagnosed with testicular and prostate cancer.

Men also are at risk from breast cancer. Often men went under the radar, she said.

Where the funds go

Money raised from this year's Pink Ribbon Breakfasts will fund research projects and
medical grants to help improve survivor rates from breast cancer in NZ.