World Cancer Day 4 February 2012

Together it is Possible

The Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA) challenges every single South African to ask themselves: "What can I do about cancer?" This World Cancer Day on 4 February you can personally do something to change the lives of those touched by cancer.

World Cancer Day takes place every year and is the singular initiative under which the entire world can unite together in the fight against the global cancer epidemic. World Cancer Day is an initiative of the World Health Organization in collaboration with the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC), through which they aim to help save millions of preventable deaths each year by raising awareness and education about cancer, and pressing governments and individuals across the world to take action against the disease.

Globally, every month 600 000 people die from cancer and many of these deaths could be avoided with increased governmental support and funding for prevention, detection and treatment programmes.

World Cancer Day 2012 has been themed "Together it is possible" because it’s only by every person, organisation, government individually doing their part that the world will be able to reduce premature deaths from cancer and other non-communicable diseases by 25% by 2025.

Says Sue Janse Van Rensburg, CANSA’s CEO,

“In 2011, CANSA pledged to collect signatures for the World Cancer Day declaration for a cancer-free society, and we’re grateful that over 33 000 people signed up as part of this global fight against cancer.  World Cancer Day reminds us that every person, group and government can do their bit to help reduce the burden of cancer.”  

CANSA encourages the following ways to help make a difference and help them fight cancer:  

As an individual
Start with yourself by making daily smart choices. Choose to stay out of the sun between 11:00 and 15:00, don’t smoke, follow a healthy, balanced eating plan and get regular exercise - read more here. 

• Sign our petition for the banning of tanning beds for under 18 year olds - click here 
• Support our ‘BPA Baby Bottle Exchange & Recycling Project’ to help keep babies safe.

We as a nation must stand together and with the help of the government take responsibility to make South Africa a healthy and cancer-smart country.

As a family
Look out for one another by setting an example and educating your loved ones. Parents, replace chips and chocolates in the kids’ lunch boxes with dried fruit and whole grain foods.

Take the whole family to your local shopping centre on 3 or 4 March and take part in CANSA’s 2012 Shavathon for a R50 donation for adults and R25 for children under 12 years. Go Sign up to volunteer to be a shaver or sprayer.
As a company, organisation, club or school
Know what your rights are in terms of the tobacco law and stand up for it. Invite CANSA staff to hold talks on health throughout the year and to conduct cancer screening for your employees. Educate, inform and encourage members, scholars and employees. You can go online right now and start a donation page on CANSA’s website and start raising money for the fight against cancer. Visit http://www.cansa.org.za/ or call toll-free 080 0 22 66 22.

 

CANSA Shavathon was a Success!

Myself and two friends went to the Lambton Shopping Centre in Germiston to volunteer for the 2010 CANSA Shavathon and we met lots of awesome people! 

We had one lady with long hair who shaved everything off and donated her pony tail to CANSA for making wigs for cancer survivors.  It was awesome and a lot of us were in tears when she shared her story of why she was doing it. 


All in all a successful but tiring day on my feet...lots of heads were shaved and sprayed for the CANSA organisation.  I hope they raised LOADS of funds.

Tonight is our Whimsical Wonderland 30th birthday party which we've been looking forward to for ages.  Will post pics of that one tomorrow.  All I want to do now is soak my feet, get into a bath and relax before the party tonight.

Lots of dancing, lots of new people to met and possibly lots of shots!

Sharon, Ronellda and Gillian

Some of the spray jobs

 

This brave lady chopped all her hair off and donated her pontail

Before

During the snip

 

After

 

Getting a closer shave

We even did a Puppy!  

Wee Zuko go his own custom stensil

After a bit of convincing, I sprayed a few beards too

CANSA Shavathon 2010 - One Month to Go!!!

Wanna be a Volunteer again this year?

Click Here and register to volunteer at The Glen Shopping Centre.

or visit  http://www.shavathon.org.za/ to find a shopping centre nearest you and do your bit on 6 March 2010.

CAN SA make a difference? Of course we can!

If you can't volunteer yourself, get your company involved and get them to register on the website for spray and shaves at the workplace on Friday, 5 March 2010.   If you can't convince your company to get involved, simply go to their website and make a donation or help raise funds online or even.

Last Year at The Glen

South Africans from all over the country, family and friends, workplace staff, visitors, clients and suppliers can shave or spray in a multitude of colours and show solidarity with a cancer survivor on 5th & 6th March for a donation of R50 -  children under 12 pay R25.