The group has been established in 2018 by uterine cancer survivor, Phillipa Challis OAM, to operate as the Geelong Region Cancerians supporting the Australian Cancer Research Foundation.
Phillipa believes raising awareness of its symptoms as well as raising funds for research into new treatments will increase the survival rate for those diagnosed, citing uterine cancer as being the fifth most common cancer diagnosis for women in Australia.
Committee

Phillipa Challis OAM

To Be Announced

Jennifer Jarrard

Christine Crowder

Deb Fribbins

Yan Lin

Karen Oliver

Maureen O'Keeffe

Andy Pobjoy

Gavin Seidel

The Geelong Region Cancerians Founding Committee, 2018
L-R: Luke Outerbridge, Michelle Challis, Deb Fribbins, Helene Bender OAM, Phillipa Challis OAM, Beryl McMillan OAM, Alison McLeod, Tim Birchall, Gavin Seidel
Events
More upcoming events being added soon
Stay tuned while we get our upcoming events ready to publish!
See our latest Awareness Bulletin for some upcoming events…
- Mother’s Day High Tea fundraiser on Sunday 1 May 2022, 3pm until 5pm at Sandstone Café, Torquay Road, Grovedale (bookings here)
- Giving Month: June 2022
- Trivia Night with silent auction on Friday 22 July 2022
- Grand Final week celebration on the Sunday before the AFL Grand Final – September 2022
- Information Night 2022 panel discussion: Wednesday 9 November 2022
Past Events
Decades of Trivia Fundraiser
From the comfort of your couch, kitchen, bed or anywhere in your home on Friday 22 October from 7:30pm to approximately 9:00pm for a new style of VIRTUAL TRIVIA NIGHT!
This event will be to raise funds for research into all cancers. With the cancellation of almost all our regular fundraising activities for the second year in a row we hope you are able to support us in joining this event and inviting your friends to sign up as well.
Event details:
- ENJOY A LIVE HOST RUNNING THE SHOW: With a variety of questions from your favourite decades, 70’s, 80’s, 90’s and 00’s, this fun to play trivia will sort out who are the alpha generation is, all without leaving home. Hosted by Grape Vine Events you will be in for a treat!
- GETTING IN: Access information is located at the very bottom of your ticket as soon as you buy! Scroll right to the bottom of your ticket email and links and other super important information is ready to go.
- PLAYING AS A TEAM: We broadcast via a web browser, so you can connect with your teammates via Zoom, Teams, FaceTime, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, or whatever else you to like to communicate with. Sign into Twitch to chat with everyone else in the trivia, including the host.
- WHAT YOU’LL NEED: A computer or laptop will do the trick! No technical knowledge is required, no setup or apps to install, and it’s super easy to play.
- WHAT YOU’LL WIN: We have prizes for: 1st Place, 2nd Place, and Second Last.
- WHO CAN PARTICIPATE: Anyone in the world. We would love to have you!
$5 for 1 in 21: Our Annual Giving Campaign in 2021
1 in 3 Australian men and 1 in 4 Australian women will be diagnosed with cancer before the age of 75. In 2020, there was an average of 397 diagnoses of cancer every day.
We all know people living with cancer, or who have had cancer. Research and early detection are critical to survival rates.
So, we’re asking you to donate $5.00 for each person you know personally who has, or has had cancer.
Together we can outsmart cancer.
HEALTH PANEL DISCUSSION
“Strength and Positivity when Facing Cancer”
Watch Our Health Panel Event Replay
A cancer diagnosis is never an easy thing to hear for the individual or their family and friends. While there are many challenges, there are also ways you can approach a cancer journey which will make the path much easier.
Geelong Region Cancerians in partnership with Geelong Regional Library Corporation are pleased to present as part of Women’s Health Week an inspiring panel of speakers, who will share their personal experience and expertise when facing cancer.
Speakers:
- Sue Mackey — Sue has been a psychology practice manager for 20 years. She is author of the book Positive Oncology, An Optimistic Approach to the Big C, a self-help book that she wrote following her own tussle with cancer 8 years ago. The Positive Oncology concept was developed when she studied positive psychology as part of her self-directed cancer rehabilitation.
- Sarah Huntly — Sarah is a physiotherapist with 20 years’ experience, who over the last 4 years has specialised in Oncology Rehabilitation, providing physiotherapy services to people in our region with a cancer diagnosis. More recently, growing research and her first-hand experience in seeing the benefits of exercise for people with cancer, Sarah established her own private practice – Cancer Exercise Australia.
- Ann Cook — Ann moved to Geelong with her husband seven and a half years ago after living in Diamond Creek for 30 years. Ann was diagnosed with uterine cancer five and a half years ago. It was the early detection and diagnosis of her cancer that made her journey so clear cut – and this is the message she would like to pass on to other women.
- Allana Goldsworthy — Geelong based Family Law Barrister and Mediator Allana Goldsworthy will be our Moderator and MC for the evening.
Event Details
- Time and Date: Monday, September 6th 2021 from 6-7:30 pm
Presented in Partnership with Geelong Regional Library Corporation.
2021 FUNDRAISING PIE DRIVE
As part of our continued efforts to raise awareness of uterine cancer and funds for research into all cancers, we held our annual Routleys Pie Drive.
Routleys Bakery has been making pies & cakes for over 60 years having perfected their recipes over time. For this drive we have selected a range of Routleys most popular products. For every item sold, GRC will receive 25% of the proceeds, all of which will go to our yearly donation to Australian Cancer Research Foundation. https://www.acrf.com.au/australian-cancer-research-foundation-2/
With thanks to Routleys for making our pie drive possible.
Silver Circles 2021 Fundraiser
Thanks to those who took part in our Silver Circle fundraiser
to help raise valuable funds for cancer research…
a win for you and a win for cancer research!
The Silver Circles fundraiser is based on the Super ‘66’ numbers drawn each Saturday for 10 weeks from Saturday 1st May to Saturday 3rd July 2021, inclusive.
$20 per ticket
Only 100 tickets for sale
Each ticket has 30 chances to win (3 chances a week over 10 weeks)
PRIZES each week
1st prize: $50
2nd prize: $30
3rd prize: $20
How it works
Winners will be advised by email each week and the results will be put up on our Facebook page.
Each lucky winner’s number will be put back in the draw for the following week.
Our 2020 Annual Giving raised $16,000
Thanks to the generous support of our contributors, this year our donation to the ACRF is $16,000.
We have donated $49,000 since our launch in April 2018.
Thanks to our major Annual Giving donors
We’d especially like to thank Lake Imaging, Gforce and Mindwerx for their donations contributing to our 2020 Annual Giving campaign.
2020 Online Silent Auction
9th to 20th November 2020
FIFTEEN fabulous items were generously donated for our 2020 Online Silent Auction. Bidding was open from Monday 9th November until Friday, 20th November 2020.
2020 Grand Final Week Celebration
Just like the Grand Final having a change of venue, our friends at the Piano Bar are also receptive to change. The Geelong Region Cancerians Grand Final Week Celebration is on again, and is being held in the Piano Bar marquee at the Geelong Racing Club this year.
Date: Sunday 18th October 2020
Time: 1.00pm to 3.00pm
Cost: (SOLD OUT) $38 per person, includes grazing platters from SteamPocket catering, drinks at bar price, fabulous musical entertainment and a football panel discussing who will win the Brownlow Medal and which team will be 2020 Premiers.
Dwayne Russell, a former Geelong Cats player and media personality, together with Tom King, a broadcaster, commentator and the editor for football at Geelong’s home of footy: K-Rock, will openly discuss the 2020 season and give their prediction.

There will be a raffle on the day with excellent prizes. All money raised will be donated to the Australian Cancer Research Foundation.
This event is being generously hosted by Piano Bar owner Andy Pobjoy, who is also a Geelong Region Cancerians committee member.
Silver Circles 2020 Fundraiser
Since the opportunity to gather for a large fundraising event is not possible due to COVID-19 social distancing, the Geelong Region Cancerians came up with a novel way to raise funds — SILVER CIRCLES.
The Silver Circles fundraiser is based on the Super 66 numbers drawn each Saturday night for 10 weeks from September 5 2020, with only 100 tickets available.
Each ticket has 30 chances over the 10 weeks. The PRIZES each week are 1st ($50), 2nd ($30) and 3rd ($20). If you buy multiple tickets you have multiple chances each week as winning tickets go back into the draw. Tickets are $20 each.
The Geelong Region Cancerians thanks everyone who has supported us with this fundraiser. Participation helps Geelong Region Cancerians raise awareness and funds that support research for uterine cancer and all other cancers supporting Australian Cancer Research Foundation a registered charity with ACNC.
2020 Routleys Pie Drive
Due to COVID-19 social distancing our annual Trivia Night fundraiser became our Routleys Pie Drive.
All of the sales profits from the range of Routleys most popular products offered in our Pie Drive will be included in our annual donation to Australian Cancer Research Foundation for cancer research.
Routleys family-owned bakery is the best wholesale bakery in Geelong, and has been making Pies & Cakes for over 60 years. They have perfected their delicious recipes over a long time.
Thank you for your support.
Please see our Archived Events page for our past events prior to the ones shown above.
Awareness Bulletin
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PREVIOUS EDITIONS
Awareness Bulletin #17 – November 2021
Awareness Bulletin #16 – September 2021
Awareness Bulletin #15 – August 2021
Awareness Bulletin #14 – June 2021
Awareness Bulletin #13 – April 2021
Awareness Bulletin #12 – December 2020
Awareness Bulletin #11 – October 2020
Awareness Bulletin #10 – August 2020
Awareness Bulletin #9 – July 2020
Awareness Bulletin (Special CV#2 Edition) – May 2020
May 2020 CROSSWORD ONLY page (.docx Word format)
Awareness Bulletin (Special CV#1 Edition) – April 2020
April 2020 CROSSWORD ONLY page (.docx Word format)
Awareness Bulletin #8 – March 2020
Awareness Bulletin #7 – December 2019
Awareness Bulletin #6 – August 2019
Awareness Bulletin #5 – June 2019
Awareness Bulletin #4 – December 2018
Awareness Bulletin #3 – August 2018
Awareness Bulletin #2 – June 2018
Awareness Bulletin #1 – April 2018
Donations
Donations to support research would be greatly appreciated
Name: Geelong Region Cancerians
BSB: 633 000 Account Number: 162 560 007
Please notify our secretary by email at info@geelongregioncancerians.com.au of your EFT transaction.
Alternatively, you are welcome to contribute online via our GiveNow page towards our yearly Annual Giving Campaign. Simply click this button below:
Donation Canisters
Out and about and wish to donate? Our collection canisters can be found at the following locations.
We thank each of these businesses for showing their immense support for Geelong Region Cancerians.
Australia Post
110 Shannon Avenue, Manifold Heights
Australian Tea Masters
107 Ryrie Street, Geelong
Blue Illusion
2/184 Pakington Street, Geelong West
Bakers Delight Geelong West
159 Pakington Street, Geelong West
Bumble Bee Eatery
1/63 Vines Road, Hamlyn Heights
Café Bear & Scoobs
8-14 Thompsons Road, North Geelong
Chez Ma Belle Lingerie
37 Yarra Street, Geelong
Community Care Chemist
1/84 Pakington Street, Geelong West
Community Care Chemist
71-75 Separation Street, North Geelong
Geelong Flower Farm
392 Bellarine Highway, Moolap
Lake Imaging
East Court, 313 Ryrie Street, Geelong
Minkind Gift Store
1A Minerva Road, Herne Hill
Pako Bakery Café
129 Pakington Street, Geelong West
Skinny Dippers
261 Myers Street, Geelong East
The Bungalow Restaurant
32 High Street, Drysdale
The Fresh Food Merchant
138 Malop Street, Geelong
Two Sugars Café on Ryrie
404 Ryrie Street, East Geelong
Westcoast Hair & Beauty Supplies
53 West Fyans Street, Newtown
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