Smiling for Smiddy rides again in fight against cancer
- Release Date: 8/08/2011
- For media enquiries please contact 07 3163 1524 or the afterhours on call media officer on 07 3163 8111.
The sixth annual Bottlemart Smiddy Challenge is on again—a 1600 kilometre, eight day cycle from Brisbane to Townsville held from 3-10 September to raise funds for world-class cancer research.
A team of 50 cyclists plus road crew will hit the road to help the team at Mater Medical Research Institute (MMRI) fight a disease that sees more than 100 000 Australians diagnosed each year.
It is a hilly inland route, with overnight stops in Nanango, Eidsvold, Biloela, Blackwater, Clermont, Belyando Crossing and Charters Towers before arriving in Townsville on 10th September.
Challenge Director Mark Smoothy said, “the eight day cycling challenge will be physically and mentally tough for our team of cyclists, but the memory of losing family and friends, like Adam Smiddy, to this devastating disease inspire the team and I hope encourages the community to be support the participants and cancer research at MMRI”.
Since 2006, Smiling for Smiddy has raised more than $2 million with funds supporting MMRI and the team aim to raise $750 000 this year.
Smiling for Smiddy supports three world-class research projects at Mater into melanoma, prostate cancer and a pilot study into complementary therapies to improve quality of life for cancer patients.
Mater Foundation Executive Director, Nigel Harris said, “Too many Australians are touched by cancer. Thanks to vital funds raised by Smiling for Smiddy, scientists at MMRI are one step closer to developing new therapies for prostate cancer which could harness a person’s own immune system to fight the disease.”
Beneficiaries of Smiling for Smiddy funds include Mater Foundation, Melanoma Patients Australia, LIVESTRONG Cancer Research Centre in South Australia and the PA Research Foundation.
The Challenge honours the memory of Adam Smiddy, a 26-year-old Brisbane physiotherapist, who passed away to an aggressive cancer in August 2006.
Support the Bottlemart Smiddy Challenge and the cyclists to fight cancer by visiting www.smiddy.org.au