Stars of the North 2017: Dance for Cancer is back for its second year, and this year the gala event will be held on 24 June at Norths in Cammeray. We’re delighted to announce that Rachel Chappell, North Shore Mums Founder, is in the line up for 2017 and has set the ambitious target of raising $10,000 for Cancer Council.
I’ve always enjoyed watching ‘Dancing with the Stars’ on the television, so when I was asked to participate in ‘Stars of the North 2017: Dance for Cancer’, it only took me a few minutes to dampen those negative voices in my head and to say ‘hell, yeah!’. Not only that, but this was my chance to honour my dear friend Laura, whose courageous battle with breast cancer had inspired me to help make a difference to this important cause. There’s more on her must-read incredibly moving story below, but first…here’s how it works.
Stars of the North is a stage version of the popular TV show that features local people from the community – business leaders, community members and everyday heroes. These ‘stars’ are partnered with a professional dancer, allocated a dance genre, and learn a whole dance routine over an 8-week period. It all culminates at a gala evening event at Norths Cammeray on Saturday 24 June, where the 12 stars will perform in front of 500 people. Scary, much?
Click here to see the full line up of ‘stars’ who are taking part in this year’s Stars of the North!
I’ve been given the genre of ‘Jazz’ and will soon be paired with a professional dancer to start working on a routine! So over the next few months, there will be lots of training as I try to get ready for the big night.
And it’s all for Cancer Council! Last year was the first time it was run on the North Shore, and local figures like Matt Kean MP, Gail Giles Gidney, Bernard Cohen and Trent Zimmerman helped to raise over $100,000. This year, the fundraising target is $150,000!
I’m so incredibly proud and motivated to be raising money for Cancer Council, as they do such amazing work into all aspects and types of cancer – from research and prevention, to information and support to those who are diagnosed.
Over the last few years, I have known several mums who have been diagnosed with breast cancer, so I’m dancing for them. I got a real insight into the devastating effect this can have on a person when one of our lovely admins of the NSM Facebook group was diagnosed in May 2015. Laura was just 31 years old, and had two young boys. I’ll never forget when she first told us the news – she’d found a lump at the weekend, decided to get it checked out, and a few days later the test results came back positive. Within three weeks, she’d had a double mastectomy and started chemotherapy soon after. She was so sick from all the treatment, she had to move in with her parents and put her boys in full time childcare. It was devastating to see how her life changed with the diagnosis, but I was in complete admiration of how she took it all in her stride and just dealt with it. Read Laura’s full story here.
I’m so delighted and relieved that Laura is completely cancer free now, but the whole experience completely changes your perspective on life. As an outsider, it is devastating to hear news of a cancer diagnosis, and I can’t even begin to imagine what it must be like to undergo the treatment and try to fight the disease.
Cancer touches all of us, whether directly or indirectly, so I will do anything that I can to help support this important charity.
I’m seriously putting myself outside my comfort zone to participate in Stars of the North, and so would be incredibly grateful for the support of the lovely mums in the North Shore Mums community over the next few months. You could book some tickets to see the show (which includes hours of entertainment, food and drinks), or you could just donate a few dollars to help me reach my fundraising target of $10,000.
Imagine, if every NSM Facebook member donated just $1, that would be a whopping $23k! So I am asking… if North Shore Mums has helped you during your parenting journey and you’ve got value from the group, I would be so grateful if you could show your thanks to the admin team by making a donation to Cancer Council.
Whatever you can do, no matter how big or small, I will be incredibly grateful for your support.
Let’s show our support for everyone affected by cancer, and raise thousands of dollars for Cancer Council!
- Click here to donate to help Rachel reach her goal of raising $10,000 for Cancer Council
- Click here to buy tickets to the gala evening at Norths Cammeray on Saturday 24 June.
- Click here to stay up-to-date via the Stars of the North Facebook page.