As October was Mental Health Month with the theme of ‘share the journey’ it was a poignant reminder of why we CAN TOO and how being part of the community is vital for physical and mental wellbeing.
A selection of our community members shared their journeys with Can Too and how being part of the Foundation lifts their spirits and allows their mental wellbeing to thrive, including hearing from a Can Too addict, Can Too Founder Annie Crawford’s letter to her younger self and Paul Jeffress shared his experience with mental health and how Can Too is key for his mental wellbeing. We are very thankful for each of these people and others for sharing their story, it's incredibly brave but it's equally inspiring for all of us to learn from and support ourselves or others around us.
International Marathons – you voted and we listened
I’m delighted to announce our International Marathon Programs, which you voted for, is starting with Hawke’s Bay Marathon 2019, registrations are now open. The other locations in other corners of the world are New York, London and Honolulu.
We listened to your feedback from our annual survey and discovered that many of you are a globetrotting bunch who want adventure with a mix of fun and serious, exclusive and accessible, bucket list and family-friendly.
Your voices were heard as we’ve designed the schedule of races to implement your feedback, that you want more advanced notice of international events to allow more of you to join in these experiences.
View marathons announcement
Record breaking Sydney Ocean Swim program
We’ve been thrilled with the overwhelming response of 460 swimmers (and counting) who’ve dived into our Sydney Ocean Swim program which spring boarded into action this week. This is our second record-breaking season in a row, which has seen more than 15 per cent growth so far. It’s not too late to get involved though as there are waitlist spaces still available! Please request a space here. There will also be an exciting ocean swim announcement coming at the end of this month, so stay tuned!
New Referral Rewards & First-Timer Guarantee
Earlier this year we launched a new referral rewards program and first-timer satisfaction guarantee. You can now get 25 per cent off your fundraising commitment for every Can Too first-timer that nominates you when signing up.
This initiative was introduced in direct response to feedback from the annual community survey and aims to continue building a strong community committed to fighting cancer.
If you’re thinking about training for Hawke’s Bay Marathon, we’ll reward you with $550 off your fundraising commitment, for signing up a friend to the Sydney Trail Series – both starting next month.
For your friends signing up, there’s nothing to risk. If they give us a genuine go (by attending four of the first six sessions) and Can Too is not for them, we’ll refund their money.
$20 Million and beyond
I was reminded recently of how inspirational the Can Too community is, at the special event to celebrate the milestone you helped reach of $20 million plus raised for cancer research and prevention.
The significance of the event was less about the incredible amount of money raised but where it’s been invested. Almost 160 cancer research projects have been funded which are all making positive inroads to fighting the insidious disease.
As the Chair of the Foundation Anne Massey said at the event we’re looking forward to Can Too increasing the figure in the future to $50 million for cancer prevention and research.
Thank you again for all your efforts to help beat the disease and support each other on our physical challenges.
It’s great to see the weather heating up as our training programs and fundraising efforts are too. I’ll see you out on the road, at the beach or in the pool soon.
With regards,
Peter McLean
Chief Executive Officer
Can Too Foundation
