Getting Donations for your Dry July

By Samii Avdic on Jul 5, 4:51am

Okay, so you’ve signed up for Dry July and you’ve shared your profile page with your friends on Facebook. Great work! Some people may have donated. What now?

Well, instead of posting every day begging people to donate, why not try something a little different? Here are just a few things you can do this month to collect donations.

Designated Dryver – Knowing that you won’t be drinking for the month, your family and friends will most likely ask you for lifts. Use this to your advantage by asking for them to pay you through donations.

Christmas in July – Host a Christmas in July dinner at your house for some last minute donations. Everyone must pay on entry.

Bowling – Contact your local venue and ask them to match your bowling fee with an...

Meet Amy, one of many inspirational Royal Melbourne cancer patients

By Dry July on Jul 4, 2:50am

Being diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma was a huge shock to Amy and her family. Amy went to her doctor for some chest pain and a few days later she found herself beginning chemotherapy. After chemotherapy, Amy underwent a bone marrow transplant and thankfully, is on the road to recovery. It was a long and painful process and she was scared, but Amy said that if it wasn’t for the support of her loving family, and the wonderful staff at The Royal Melbourne Hospital, she wouldn’t be here today. 

“Please support The Royal Melbourne this Dry July. It’s a great way to help RMH cancer patients and services. They need all the resources that they can get. The more resources they get the more comfortable the patients are and it makes a real...

Dry July is here!

By Dry July on Jul 1, 12:20am

Surviving the first weekend of Dry July

Thank you for signing up to be a Dry Hero this year. You're doing a great thing for yourself and others, so we want to make your Dry July journey as effortless as possible; we know it's not always going to be easy, but it will certainly be rewarding.

Your Dry July challenge begins today, which also happens to be a Friday, so you'll probably be surrounded by temptation from the first night...

But be strong! And remember. the answer isn't staying in bed all month bingeing on Netflix, hoping to avoid all temptation and social contact...

Instead, put on something nice and get ready to enjoy the weekend like everybody else, just minus the booze (it's possible, we promise!)

If you're heading...

Patient Ruth Armes on CCQ's Cancer Counselling Service

By Dry July on Jun 30, 12:44pm

By going booze-free and fundraising for Cancer Council Queensland, you will directly impact the lives of thousands of Queenslanders affected by cancer.

In 2016, all funds raised for CCQ will benefit the charity’s unique Cancer Counselling Service through a refurbishment project for the counselling rooms. 

This vital service, staffed by nurse counsellors and psychologists, provides counselling and support at no out-of-pocket cost to cancer patients, survivors, and their friends and family.   

Last year the vital service received more than 1,400 referrals for counselling and provided support to more than 1600 Queenslanders through around 3400 client and therapy sessions.  

Brisbane local Ruth Armes used the service after...

Australian Bitters and Dry July Mocktail Competition

By Dry July on Jun 23, 6:00am

Australian Bitters is making your Dry July easier by making going out in July a breeze! They are making sure you’ve got some great mocktail choices at some amazing venues across Australia! Australian Bitters have teamed up with Time Out magazine to hold a mocktail competition during July.

Participating venues will submit their mocktail recipes and have their amazing mocktail creations for sale during July. You can help determine the winner by voting at Time out and be in the running for a $200 bar tab.*

Vote for your Sydney favourite

Vote for your Melbourne favourite

Don’t forget to Instagram your mocktail tagging @australianbitters and hashtag #mymocktail

For some serious mocktail inspiration you can check out the venue’s competition...

Thanks to you

By Dry July on Jun 23, 4:12am

Thanks to you – an incredible new resource for patients and families

Gabby Wynne, Clinical Psychologist, is a new face in the Olivia Newton-John Wellness Centre. As a direct result of funds raised by Dry July participants supporting the ONJ Centre, Gabby will provide an accessible service for outpatients, carers and families who need expert psychological support.  

“A cancer diagnosis and treatment is an incredibly stressful time,” says Gabby. “Quite often people need help to better manage all of the emotions associated with cancer: anxiety, stress, sadness, worry about relationships, fear of recurrence and grief.”  

In addition to being available for consultations for patients and carers, Gabby will also design and run group...

Former cancer patient Shane Maher urges everyone to sign-up for Dry July

By Dry July on Jun 23, 4:03am

A former Eltham basketball coach is urging everyone to give up alcohol and raise funds for cancer support as he embarks on his own road to recovery.

Shane Maher was treated for lymphoma at the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness & Research Centre two years ago and says that without the centre, his outlook would be very different.

Shane coached three teams at the Eltham Wildcats prior to his diagnosis, and led an active lifestyle.

“It was a shock,” Shane said. “I first had a tumour in my sinus which is very rare. My teeth started aching so I went to the dentist, who couldn’t find anything wrong. They thought it may have been one particular tooth so they pulled that one, and while I was under [anaesthetic] they took a blood sample. And...

Wellbeing Event

By Dry July on Jun 20, 4:53am

Last week, we held a ‘Get ready for Dry July’ wellbeing event for media, influencers and Dry July ambassadors at the YogaBar in Westfield Sydney to help prepare for their upcoming booze-free month.

Ambassador Luke Hines gave a special talk about his experience with going dry, as well as the benefits of completing a Dry July.

The guests were then taken through a 45 minute Yoga class by the wonderful people at the YogaBar, before heading out to the SodaStream Hydration Station for some refreshments and snacks.

Head over to our Wellbeing site if you’re interested in recipes, Dry July tips, fitness and all things Life.

2016 Patient Ambassador: Rochelle Gengaroli

By Dry July on Jun 14, 2:59am

My story began on the 7th of September 2015, when I was admitted to The Alfred, Ward 7East Haematology Oncology to begin chemotherapy for an unusual presentation of AML (Acute Myeloid Leukaemia). At 22, this diagnosis felt surreal, despite feeling quiet fatigued, I felt I was too young and healthy to have a ‘cancer’ diagnosis. That’s the thing though, isn’t it? Cancer does not discriminate. 

I had a stereotyped image in my mind about how a person who has cancer should look and feel. After being admitted as an in-patient, I very quickly learned that this image was somewhat wrong. Yes, there were people who were very sick, but there were also people who despite their diagnosis remained strong and optimistic.   

Shortly after...