Daffodil Day grows hope, awareness

Victoria Street will turn yellow today for Daffodil Day as the community honours those lost to cancer and raises money for vital support services and further research.

Mandy Roney’s life changed dramatically when she was diagnosed with a rare form of blood cancer and she does not know what she would do without the support provided to her.

“I use the services of Dot’s Place and the Cancer Council and I have for a couple of years because I have something that is incurable,” Ms Roney said.

“I don’t know if I would have survived mentally – being able to drop in and have a cuppa is really important because a lot of people are dealing with similar issues and you don’t feel so alone.

“The funding is really important because cancer affects people’s lives and you don’t realise how much until you’re living with it or someone you love is living with it.”

Cancer Council WA regional education officer Dianne Pope said they had raised $55,000 in the past three years.

“There’s going to be a lot of yellow on Friday – we disrupt Victoria Street in a happy way and no one minds, it’s not just about fundraising but interacting too,” she said.

Ms Roney will join 60 other volunteers in Bunbury selling merchandise and said the annual fundraising efforts were vital.

“I can’t emphasise enough how important these services are and how much they rely on people donating,” she said.

“I think cancer has touched enough lives now for us all to be aware of it, because it’s not just the person with cancer, it’s the family – everyone goes through it.”