Huge support: Last year’s Biggest Ever Blokes Lunch attracted almost a thousand people, but the number has ticked over the 1000 mark this year.
Photo by
Holly Daniel
In its 15th year, it’s impossible to know exactly how many lives the Biggest Ever Blokes Lunch has saved.
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Sadly, as the event to raise awareness of men’s health issues — in particular prostate and bowel cancer — has grown and evolved to fund some services, other men have fallen.
Chris McPherson was an owner of McPherson Media Group, publisher of the News, and founder of the lunch.
He was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2009 and passed away in December 2015.
As did another founding committee member, Laurie Gleeson.
“That’s what it (cancer) can do, and it doesn’t discriminate between the rich or the good-looking or the ugly or whatever. It’ll take anyone, but if you get it early, you’ve got a hell of a lot better chance of surviving it.”
And that’s the main message of the lunch, to tell men to get checked.
“A couple of stubborn old blokes last year rang me up afterwards and said, ‘You’d be glad to know I’ve just had some blood tests’,” Mr O’Sullivan said.
“That’s what it’s all about.”
It’s also about raising money to fund services in the Goulburn Valley that wouldn’t otherwise be provided.
Funds raised through the Biggest Ever Blokes Lunch fund the employment of prostate and bowel cancer nurses and last year, along with the Male Bag, Freemasons Victoria and GV Health foundations, contributed to the purchase of a $200,000 transperineal biopsy machine.
Mr O’Sullivan said the success of last year’s lunch was only possible because of the contributions of the almost 1000 people who attended and the numerous local businesses, community groups and individuals.
“We turned over nearly half a million dollars on the day with what we sell, the auction items, and then expenses with the food etc,” he said.
“They don’t need any accolades, they just support men’s health in general, and they may not even attend the lunch, some of them.”
Lived experience: Chair of the Biggest Ever Blokes Lunch in Shepparton Shane O'Sullivan is himself a survivor of prostate cancer.
Photo by
Murray Silby
Mr O’Sullivan also thanked the organising committee for the enormous amount of work it did to make the event possible.
“I think people have all been touched by it (cancer), whether it be a dad or brother or brother-in-law or father-in-law,” he said.
“I think the secret to it is the money, every cent of it stays in Shepparton.
“We fund the nurses, and we bought the biopsy machine last year because we had such a successful year we were able to help and be a third owner of the biopsy machine.”
This year’s event at MOVE in Shepparton on Friday is already sold out with more than a thousand people attending and will feature former NBA basketballer and Australian Boomer Chris Anstey, and comedian Peter Helliar, with Des Dowling as emcee.
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