Why We’re Turning the Sea Pink

We’re raising money to support families from rural and regional NSW who have been impacted by cancer and need to travel to Sydney for treatment.

Because cancer doesn’t just affect your health. It can turn your whole world upside down.

For families living hours away from specialist treatment, a simple one-hour appointment can mean a four-hour drive each way, finding someone to take time off work to drive you, organising childcare, and trying to manage everything else life throws at you while you’re already dealing with a cancer diagnosis.

I know this because I’ve lived it.

I’m a country girl, and when I was diagnosed with cancer, I found myself needing a support person to drive more than four hours to Sydney for a treatment that lasted just one hour.

And as you can imagine, that wasn’t ideal.

Some days I simply couldn’t face the four-hour drive home afterwards.

Eventually, I made the difficult decision to move to Sydney permanently so I could continue my treatment. I was incredibly lucky that I had the ability to do that, but I know many families simply don’t have that option.

And that’s why we’re here.

### Why Sydney? Why Manly Cove?

Sydney is home to some of Australia’s leading cancer treatment facilities, but for families living in rural and regional NSW, accessing that care can come at an enormous cost.

We want to help bridge that gap.

We want families to be able to focus on what really matters: getting better, being together and supporting one another, rather than worrying about where they are going to sleep or how they are going to afford being away from home.

That’s where our partnership with Rydges North Sydney comes in.

Rydges North Sydney has partnered with us to help provide affordable accommodation for families travelling to Sydney for cancer treatment.

Our ultimate goal is to raise enough through Turning the Sea Pink to provide FREE accommodation for families in the future.

Every dollar raised through this event will go towards making that possible.

Because no family should have to choose between receiving the treatment they need and being able to afford a safe place to stay.

Turning the Sea Pink started with a very personal experience, but it has grown into something so much bigger.

We’re creating a community that says: you don’t have to do this alone.

So whether you donate, join us at Manly Cove, wear pink, share our story or simply help us spread the word, you’re helping us make the journey a little easier for families who are already carrying more than enough.

Let’s turn the sea pink.

And let’s turn a difficult experience into something that can make a real difference for someone else.

Mez xx