Pink Ribbon Bequest Society

To: Heather Shotter,  Executive Trustee of the the New Zealand Breast Cancer Foundation, your fellow trustees and staff of the Foundation; Athlae Lyon,  Chair of the Pink Ribbon Bequest Society and your fellow trustees; Marie-Anne Billins, from Estee Lauder New Zealand; Distinguished guests,  Ladies and Gentlemen: greetings, kia ora, kia orana, fakalofa lahi atu,  taloha ni (sign ‘good afternoon').  These are all of the languages of the Realm of New Zealand English, Māori, Cook Island Māori, Nuiean, Tokelauan and New Zealand Sign Language.

It is with great pleasure that I welcome you to Government House in Auckland for the launch of the Pink Ribbon Bequest Society.
Breast cancer is the most common cancer to affect New Zealand women, accounting for about a third of all cancers detected.  

On average every day six New Zealand women receive the news that they have breast cancer, and about 2500 New Zealand women are diagnosed with breast cancer every year.  When you include the families, the impact of each diagnosis spreads far and wide.
Women can learn the risk factors and some early detection with 'casual' breast self checks, clinical check ups and mammograms brings good results.

So while more than 600 women die from breast cancer every year, the overwhelming majority diagnosed with this disease will survive. 
Since 1994, the New Zealand Breast Cancer Foundation has worked assiduously to raise awareness of breast cancer among all New Zealanders and it raises funds to support breast cancer-related initiatives including research, scholarships, medical grants, community education and a breast cancer patient register.

As a charitable trust, the Foundation relies on donations from the public to ensure its good work occurs.  October is International Breast Cancer Awareness Month and the Pink Ribbon Day Street Appeal is a major effort.

There are many ways, though, to support charitable organisations, that go beyond dropping coins into a street collector's basket.  They can include offering your time and skills, either long-term or for specific projects. In his first year New Year message as Governor-General, my husband, Anand, said: "The spirit of volunteerism is the glue that holds our society and economy together-our health, education and social service sectors would grind to a halt without the countless hours of voluntary work many people provide ...  Voluntary work not only has its own intrinsic benefits-making friends and even offers of employment-but it also adds strength to our wider communities."

A less public way of supporting the Foundation, is by making a bequest in your will.  A bequest is a way of making a lasting gift to a cause or issue that you feel strongly about.  It is a way of making your caring last in future generations.

The Pink Ribbon Bequest Society has been formed to recognise those who have decided to make a bequest to the Foundation.  Membership of the Society provides an opportunity for the Foundation to acknowledge during their lifetime those who have decided to support the organisation in this way.  To the inaugural members of the Society, I offer my sincere thanks.

No reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, kia ora, kia kaha, tēnā koutou katoa.