Hi all,

Most of you would know me from my time playing at SSFC for what is currently my 10th year.

In my spare time I also update much of stuff on this web site in my role as SSFC Publicity Officer (or as I like to call myself Publicity Managing Director but let's not get caught up in the details).

Anyway I have decided to take the challenge of abstaining from alcohol for the month of July for a great cause.  

What is Dry July?

Dry July is an online social community where an individual or team can sign up to the challenge of a month long sponsored abstinence from alcohol.

The funds raised from participants' sponsorship directly benefit the lives of adults living with cancer right across Australia. See our beneficiaries for 2010

Sponsorship is raised online via participant or team profile pages. You can find your chosen participant or team by searching for them via the "Make a donation to" search box on the homepage.

Dry July is about clearing your head and making a difference. Get healthy, challenge yourself, encourage positive change and a healthy attitude to alcohol consumption.

We hope you embrace the concept, take on the challenge and ensure Dry July has a positive effect on your well-being as well as the well-being of others.

2008 was Dry July's inaugural year with over 1000 participants and raised a combined total of $257,283 for the Prince of Wales Hospital Foundation and Dreams2Live4 Committee based in Sydney, New South Wales.

In 2009, Dry July went national attracting over 4000 participants Australia wide. Collectively, participants helped raise over $1.27 million dollars for adult cancer patients at our 6 beneficiary hospitals.

DJ (Dry.July.er) [dee-jay] noun: a person or team actively sponsored to participate in Dry July.

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This shouldn't be seen as a 7 day a week binge drinker going cold turkey for a month. Like most people I love having a social drink especially with my Souci friends. What I am saying is for the month of July that social drink will be something other than Mr Tooheys or Mr Beam.

There are 5 Friday nights, 5 Saturday nights and 5 Saturday afternoons. Not to mention 4 Sunday afternoons to get through. Believe me, this will be a challenge and I have more than enough people making sure I don't slip up.

There are many celebrities also doing the challenge including Dry July Patron Adam Spencer from ABC Radio and Jonesy and Amanda from WS FM.

All money raised will go to the Prince of Wales Hospital Foundation. There are more details below about what the Prince of Wales Foundation does.

You can donate via credit card at my Dry July web page https://www.dryjuly.com/profiles/darrennicholls or alternatively I will take cash donations when I am at Claydon tomorrow afternoon. This web page will also track my progress and money raised.

I'd like to think the people of SSFC will get behind me in my goal of raising $500 (or more) for the cause.

Thank you to everyone for your support and always drink responsibly.

The Prince of Wales Hospital Foundation, Sydney

Facilities

The Prince of Wales hospital treats approximately 1000 new cancer patients per year and 3000 ongoing patients. This second number over the years of their survivorship come to the hospital fewer and fewer times but the 1000 new then revert to ongoing patients. So we are always treating 4000 patients per year.

The radiation oncology department has two linear accelerators department treats approximately 70 patients per day 5 days per week.

The medical oncology department treats 30 patients per day with chemo therapy treatments 5 days a week and has outpatients department throughout the week.

The hereditary cancer unit investigates approximately 1000 patients and relatives per year.

The inpatient wards include hematology and the oncology ward plus the surgical floors for abdominal ,head and neck, orthopedics and neurosciences.

The cancer specialties include the following and patients as young as 17 come through the cancer centre:

• Head and neck
• Skin
• Breast
• Colon
• liver
• Stomach
• Brain
• Ovarian
• Testicular
• Prostate
• Lymphoma
• Cancers of the blood
• Sarcomas
• Plus very rare cancers

About

The Prince of Wales Hospital has just celebrated 150 years of caring for the community. The Prince of Wales Hospital is a major teaching hospital affiliated with the University of NSW and now the Lowy Institute for cancer research. It provides leading healthcare to our local community and a tertiary referral for specialist services in NSW and interstate.

The Foundation was established to promote and support this well respected hospital so it can continue to deliver excellence in care to the mums, dads, aunts, uncles, grandmas and grandpas who in turn, care for our next generation.

Dreams 2 live 4

Is a committee of the POWH Foundation, which was developed to help our patients with metastatic cancer realise their dreams. Whether it is to meet someone special, go somewhere special or do something special we make his or her Dream come true. By assisting these patients achieve their dreams, we are giving them a focus and on living a positive healthy life.