How a few mates and a beer challenge founded Dry July
For many Australians, July also means Dry July, and this year marks 10 years of people giving up the grog to raise money for those affected by cancer.
Next month, an average 11,500 Australians will be diagnosed with cancer and the money raised from Dry July will help fund projects and programs which improve the comfort and well-being of all those affected.
Founder Brett Macdonald tells Deborah Knight the charity has raised over $30 million which has supported over 1,000 projects across 75 different cancer organisations.
Brett says initially, Dry July was just a challenge between him and his mates, and he never expected it to grow into something so incredible.
“A small bunch of guys, we challenged ourselves to see which one could last the longest without drinking a beer and our challenge would start on the first of July.
“There just never seemed to be a reason not to have a drink… right about that time I had a close family member diagnosed with cancer and saw first-hand that treatment process.
“I thought what if we combined these and turned it into a charity challenge, and set about making some noise about it.
“Our original goal was to get 10 mates involved and raise $3,000 to buy a new TV for the Prince of Wales Hospital cancer ward.”
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To sign up, donate or for more information on Dry July, click HERE