Hamilton Brainy Beanies exhibition to shine light on Brain Tumour Support

Brainy Beanies will be on display and for sale in Hamilton for Brain Tumour Awareness Month. Photo / Supplied

May is Brain Tumour Awareness Month in New Zealand and, the Nancy Caiger Gallery at the Meteor Theatre will once again be filled with an array of handcrafted beanies as the Brainy Beanies exhibition returns to Hamilton.

The exhibition is a fundraising initiative from Hamilton-based charity Brain Tumour Support NZ that encourages crafters from around the country to create and donate beanies.

Every beanie on display at the exhibition will be available to purchase with all sale proceeds going towards providing vital support services to brain tumour patients and their loved ones.

The causes of most brain tumours are unknown which means there are no preventative measures and the survival rate for glioblastoma, the most common form of brain cancer, is just 5 per cent.

The idea for the exhibition comes from Brain Tumour Support NZ trustee Sarah Gibb who lost her brother to the disease in 2018.

“We believe that everyone affected by a brain tumour should have access to the support they need to cope with the challenges they face. The Brainy Beanies campaign is just one of the ways we are working to make this a reality,” Gibb says.

“By wearing a Brainy Beanie, people can show their support for those who are battling this disease and help us to raise vital funds to provide support services to those who need them.”

Selected beanies from the exhibition will be included in Brain Tumour Support NZ’s signature care and information packages which the charity delivers to over 200 newly diagnosed brain tumour patients and caregivers in Aotearoa New Zealand every year.

Brain Tumour Support NZ chair Chris Tse, says brain cancer is a “particularly hard-hitting” form of cancer.

“Raising awareness is the first step in improving outcomes for patients. Without awareness... there are insufficient funds directed towards brain cancer research and no new treatments will be developed,” Tse says.

Survival rates for brain cancer have not improved significantly in the last 30 years.

Brain cancer is the biggest cancer killer of children in New Zealand, being responsible for 42 per cent of all childhood cancer deaths - this is almost double that of leukaemia.

The charity Brain Tumour Support NZ, formed in 2019, provides support, information and advocacy to brain tumour patients.

The Details

What: Brainy Beanies exhibition

When: May 3 to 7

Where: Nancy Caiger Gallery at The Meteor in Hamilton

Tickets: Free entry