Hastings Mother's Day Pink Ribbon fundraiser hopes to raise $2000 for breast cancer research

Harriet Twinn, left, and Melissa Rutherfurd at a Mother's Day Pink Ribbon fundraiser in Hastings. Photo / Warren Buckland

A pair of Hawke's Bay women expect to raise about $2000 to help cancer researchers keep more mothers alive to celebrate Mother's Day in the coming years.

After organising a Pink Ribbon breakfast and raffle, attended by 100 people on Sunday, Melissa Rutherfurd and business partner Harriet Twinn said they had been overwhelmed with the public response.

"We're just raising money for breast cancer research in New Zealand and Mother's Day was the perfect day to do it," Rutherfurd said.

"We saw it is the Pink Ribbon Breakfast Month of May a few months back now, and I just said to Harriet we should do something.

"We hope to raise a couple of grand, at least. We've had loads of donations from businesses around the place. Our raffle prizes were donated by wineries and cafes."

Kevin and Karen Bayley donated the use of the Ten Twenty Four restaurant in Hastings to hold the occasion.

"The idea came and it just grew," Twinn said.

"It started off as just a morning tea - and now it's a big huge event."

Proceeds from this year's Pink Ribbon Breakfasts will go towards breast cancer research and supporting patients undergoing treatment.

Earlier this year, Breast Cancer Foundation NZ announced a five-year partnership to help fund the BCFNZ Ferrier Breast Cancer Research Programme, which will focus on bringing new drugs – starting with a therapeutic vaccine – to the clinical trial stage.

As well as helping support New Zealand research into breast cancer, funds will also help support patients with advice, counselling, physiotherapy and rehabilitation.

The Breast Cancer Foundation hopes to top last year's total of more than 3600 breakfasts across New Zealand, which were attended by 90,000 people and raised $1.8 million.

So far this year about $250,000 has been raised from more than 3000 Pink Ribbon Breakfast hosts.

For more information, or to register to host a Pink Ribbon Breakfast, visit www.pinkribbonbreakfast.co.nz