Helping people affected by cancer
Thanks to the incredible fundraising efforts of our Dry July participants every year, the Dry July Foundation is able to fund projects and programs that improve the comfort and wellbeing of people affected by cancer.
Everything we fund is to benefit cancer patients and their families and carers. We aim to make a difficult time, a little easier for those affected by cancer.
Where the money goes
Information and Support Services
Specialist Cancer Nurses
Wellness Programs
Cancer Centre Improvements
Accommodation and Transport
Comfort and Support Items
Organisations we support
The Dry July Foundation is proud to support numerous cancer organisations across Australia.
Some of the organisations who benefit from our fundraising include:
To see the full list of cancer support organisations we fund, please click here.
Courtyard Opens at The Alfred
The Alfred is astounded at the support the community has shown us throughout Dry July. We would like to thank you for helping us to improve the facilities in which our patients are treated. Your support assists people facing a very difficult journey and for that we are enormously grateful.
Since becoming a beneficiary of Dry July in 2014, The Alfred has already seen some amazing and positive changes. We recently opened a new garden courtyard outside the patient waiting area in the William Buckland Radiotherapy Centre. This tranquil and beautiful space will have a constructive and beneficial influence on those undergoing cancer treatments. With the funds received this year we will continue to improve those areas where our patients spend...
Kitchen Renovations at Crawford Lodge, Perth
One of the many services Cancer Council WA offers guests at their Perth Lodges is access to a fully functional kitchen for meal preparation. As many guests stay for six to eight weeks whilst undergoing their treatment, having a home cooked meal can be very comforting.
The four communal guest kitchens at Crawford Lodge are currently over 14 years old and need to be upgraded with new bench tops, electrical hotplates, ovens and range hoods. Similarly, the kitchens in the three family units also need to be upgraded. Dry July funds from 2014 are going towards these renovations, to enable guests to prepare their meals in well-functioning facilities.UPDATE:
The kitchens have now been upgraded!
New Curtains for Patient Rooms at PA Hospital
Princess Alexandra Hospital in Brisbane asked patients what the hospital could do to make their treatment more comfortable, and one of the common responses was to put up some art in common and patient areas to make it feel less clinical.
Funds from Dry July have gone towards wall art and curtains in walkways and wait areas of the day treatment area.They are causing a lot of excitement throughout the hospital and many other departments want to follow suit!
LED Lightshows installed at Nepean CCC
On Monday 29 June, Nepean Cancer Care Centre celebrated the completion of their LED lightshow installation. 2 lighting boxes have been installed in the centre’s 2 radiotherapy bunkers to distract and amuse patients during their treatment.
These installations will make a huge difference to patients facing what can be an intimidating treatment experience in the bunkers.
New Chemotherapy Chairs
Macarthur Cancer Therapy Centre used funds from Dry July 2014 to purchase 8 new “lie-flat” powered chemotherapy chairs. Patients receiving chemotherapy treatment need to sit (or lie) in these chairs for up to 6 hours at a time, so these new chairs will help make patients a little more comfortable during their treatment.
Arts for Health at Calvary Mater Newcastle
Calvary Mater Newcastle’s Mercy Hospice, part of the hospital’s Department of Palliative Care, is a place of care and compassion for patients facing serious illness.The Fig Tree Program is run in the Hospice and provides an opportunity for palliative care patients to participate in a range of creative activities in a supportive group setting. It has been running for over 18 years and the positive impact it has on both patients and their families and carers, cannot be over stated.
Thanks to recent Dry July funding, the program has been able to enhance its creative offering with the skills and fresh ideas of two Novocastrian artists, Dr Annemarie Murland and Marika Osmotherly, to engage in an ‘Arts for Health’ project.
It has long been...
SolarisCare Community Garden
Through the support of Dry July, SolarisCare Foundation recently undertook the development of a purpose-built community garden within Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Nedlands (WA).
The garden will be an oasis within the hospital setting, providing a safe place for patients and their families to take a break and relax.
Clinical Haematologist at SCGH, Founder and Medical Director of SolarisCare Foundation, Dr David Joske, said patients needed a tranquil location to cope with their diagnoses and treatment. “There are times patients simply need to get away to take some time out for themselves – this time of solitude and reflection has been proven as effective in enhancing treatment,” Dr Joske said.
SolarisCare Cancer Support Centres are the...
Qigong at Sydney Survivorship Centre
“I have found Medical Qigong easy to pick up & lots of laughs interacting with the others. It is gentle enough not to aggravate existing problems I have and it is helping me to stay active.”
- Concord Cancer Centre patient feedback
Eun Jin Lim, a practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) conducts Qigong classes for cancer patients at the Sydney Survivorship Centre (SSC) Cottage. Eun Jin says that cancer and chemotherapy drugs tend to disrupt the normal Qi flow i.e. the blood and body fluids. “Stabilizing breathing replenishes Qi to be circulated and becomes a fundamental source of promoting health and treating disease”,she quotes Zhuzi, a philosopher from the 1130’s. This 5,000 year old practice which uses movements,...
Recliner Chairs at Calvary Mater Newcastle
On the purchase of recliner chairs for cancer patients at Calvary Mater Hospital in Newcastle, Lara Riley, Acting Nurse Unit Manager, Ward 4B, said,
“Last year, Ward 4B (Surgical) was fortunate enough to receive funds from Dry July to purchase two patient bedside recliner chairs. These chairs are positioned using a simple lever action and aid patients in a comfortable recovery by facilitating a full recline with legs raised. They are a popular addition to Ward 4B and are used on a daily basis. Both patients and staff are very grateful for this addition to the ward. Thank you!”