Three Pink Ladies champion cancer awareness

The organisers behind the annual Pink Ribbon High Tea in Townsville are passionate and dedicated to making a difference in the fight against breast cancer.

The Three Pink Ladies Anna, Hayley and Danielle. Picture: Shae Beplate.

The organisers behind the annual Pink Ribbon High Tea in Townsville are passionate and dedicated to making a difference in the fight against breast cancer.

Hundreds of Townsville women are gearing up for the annual Pink Ribbon High Tea fundraiser on October 6, ready to raise their teacups for an afternoon of elegance, entertainment and heartfelt support for breast cancer awareness.

At the heart of the popular event are the Three Pink Ladies, a non-profit organisation founded by Anna and her two best friends, Danielle and Hayley.

Their mission is simple but profound with the women hoping to reduce breast cancer statistics and support those impacted by the disease.

The inspiration behind the Pink Ribbon High Tea stems from a deeply personal place for Anna.

“After losing my mum, my aunty and my high school best friend to breast cancer, I really wanted to do something towards reducing breast cancer statistics,” she shares.

With October being Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Anna saw an advertisement on social media to host a high tea and raise funds for the National Breast Cancer Foundation.

“I approached two best friends to join me, and before I even completed my sentence, they were both ‘let’s do this!’.”

This collective enthusiasm led to the birth of Three Pink Ladies.

“Earlier this year, we decided we wanted to do more on a local level when a dear friend was diagnosed with breast cancer, so we set up our Three Pink Ladies non-profit organisation,” Anna says.

The Three Pink Ladies Anna, Danielle and Hayley. Picture: Shae Beplate.

“Through our annual high tea our vision is to raise funds on behalf of the NBCF for their vital research towards zero deaths from breast cancer. But at a local level we have a vision to help those whose lives have been impacted by breast cancer in any small way we can.

“We are currently researching local breast cancer charities that we may be able to assist through fundraising, with an aim to help our breast cancer warriors more directly.”

The high tea fundraiser has grown exponentially since its inception in 2022.

This year’s event has set an ambitious goal and Anna says the community’s response has been overwhelming.

“Our goal to raise $25,000 at this year’s High Tea Fundraiser was very ambitious but also achievable considering last year we raised over $10,000 with 120 guests,” says Anna.

“We have now sold out at 300 guests, and we have also had a multitude of sponsors come on board to assist with the afternoon’s costs.”

Attendees can expect new and exciting features at this year’s high tea.

“We like to surprise our guests with something special each year, so the features are always a highly kept secret,” Anna says.

“This year we began incorporating a theme and our first theme is Pink in Paris which has led to the excitement of looking forward to seeing what pink and Paris inspired outfits our guests arrive in.”

The community’s ongoing support has been a cornerstone of the event’s success and the demand for tickets has consistently exceeded expectations.

“The Townsville community’s response to our fundraisers has been extremely supportive from our very first event held in November 2022,” Anna says.

“We had a capacity of 90 guests at our first fundraiser and had to turn people away as we were being contacted up to the morning of the event for ticket availability, but we simply had no more room.

“We increased our room space and capacity in 2023 to 120 guests and then again this year to 250, and we were still being asked for more ticket availability.”

The high demand led them to release additional tickets.

“We ended up releasing 50 additional seats this year, and after contacting the people on our waiting list, we again sold out within two hours without even having a chance to advertise.”

The impact of the fundraisers is evident in the community’s engagement with the feedback overwhelming positive.

Last year’s annual Pink Ribbon High Tea was a success

“We think the attendance numbers speak volumes regarding the positive impact our annual fundraisers are having on the local community,” Anna says.

“The feedback we receive is consistent praise and acknowledgment for organising a fantastic fundraiser for such a great cause which focuses on celebrating our breast cancer warriors.”

The partnership with the National Breast Cancer Foundation has been instrumental and Anna encourages everyone to learn more about the foundation.

“The NBCF are amazing,” Anna says.

“The work they do and the support they offer their fundraiser volunteers leading up to their events is second to none.

“You only have to log on to their Facebook page to see the world-class, groundbreaking research they conduct and to learn more about them.

“It’s awesome to follow their research efforts and how fundraising is helping them achieve this and, in turn, helping to reduce our future breast cancer statistics.”

The funds raised at the event will contribute significantly to these ongoing research initiatives.

For those considering attending future events, Anna offers some advice.

“We are sold out for this year’s event, which is very humbling for us, and if anyone missed out on securing tickets, we would encourage them to follow us on Facebook to ensure they get in early next year,” she says.

“Guests are invited to become involved in supporting our cause through either attending our annual event, sponsoring part of the event, or donating raffle and auction prizes.”

As the final touches are set for the Pink Ribbon High Tea on October 6, Anna promises an afternoon to remember.

“Don’t forget to wear your ‘Pink in Paris’ themed outfits and expect to have an afternoon full of entertainment, raffle and auction prizes, supporting a very important cause, close to many people’s hearts.”

The annual high tea event has become a celebration of community, resilience and hope with the Three Pink Ladies creating a platform where every cup of tea poured and every ticket sold brings us one step closer to a future without breast cancer.

Originally published as Three Pink Ladies champion cancer awareness