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Susan Bartell |
Margot Burns |
On May 21st 2006 The Desert Mums released 2,500 pink balloons (latex & bi degradable) on the top of Big Red, the most challenging and famous sand hill in the Simpson desert. This launch represents the number of Australian women who die each year from breast cancer.
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On May 5th 2006 The Desert Mums set out on their journey to walk the Simpson Desert, the largest parallel sand dune in the world. They walked to raise money for breast cancer research and to raise early detection awareness. They walked because 375,000 people die worldwide each year from breast cancer (2,500 of them being Australian women). They walked to save the 85 men and 11,300 women from being diagnosed this year in Australia. They walked for the special women in all of our lives. |
Carolyn McLean |
Debbie Shiell |
Denis Bartell led the support vehicles. The Australian Geographic once wrote ”it might be said that Denis knows the Simpson Desert better than any white man alive or dead”.
Denis was awarded the Order of Australia Medal and the Australian Geographic Adventurer Of the Year Medal due to his contribution to Modern day exploration.
The Desert Mums walked, almost 22 years to the day, the exact route taken by Denis when he completed the first recorded solo & unaided walk across the Simpson Desert. In the second vehicle was Andrew McLean whose most recent adventure was the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race.
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For each $35,000 The Desert Mums raise, a one year research scholarship will be set up. The Breast Cancer Foundation will select the recipient of this scholarship through a peer review process involving researchers across Australia. The Desert Mums hope you will continue to support their cause, even though they have hung up their boots(temporarily). Altogether they raised $115,000 and don't want to stop there! You can support by clicking the DONATE HERE button above you will enter the official National Breast Cancer Foundation donation page. Donations over $2 are tax deductible. On the donation form please assist us by entering ‘The Desert Mums’ when asked how did you hear about us? |
