Rotary Anns hosts charity tea for cancer patients
Beanies were also donated to patients who have lost their hair from chemotherapy and lots of goodies for the tea station.
The Boksburg Lake Rotary Anns hosted a morning session charity tea event on August 18 to raise awareness of breast cancer.
Various Rotary Anns clubs and knitters graced the event which was held at Genesis in North Rand Road.
Each member brought along coffee, sugar and biscuits for the mammography department at the Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital.
Linda Stokes from the Boksburg Lake Rotary Anns said: “We hosted the session to thank the knitters who avail their time in knitting knockers for people who have breast cancer. We also used the platform to raise awareness of breast cancer.”
Since 2015, the Rotary Anns, with the assistance of knitters, friends and family, have been knitting knockers for patients at Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital.
“One of the Rotary Anns is the aunt of Dr Sarah Nietz, who works at the hospital, and she asked us if we could make knitted knockers for the patients at the clinic and we then saw it as a great idea to make a difference.
“So far, we have given 500 knockers to the Helen Joseph, Charlotte Maxeke and Chris Hani Baragwanath hospitals,” Stokes said.
The knitted knockers are knitted with spun lamb wool and the stuffing is also pure lamb wool.
The invited speaker of the day, Nietz, highlighted that they treat about 350 women that have been newly diagnosed with breast cancer each year.
“Breast cancer is becoming more and more common especially in South Africa. The reality is that one in 27 women in South Africa will develop breast cancer.
“White women are at the highest risk. We have also seen an increase in the number among the black population and it’s probably because of a western lifestyle.
“Risk factors for breast cancer are being a women and over the age of 50. Other factors include family history and oestrogen exposures.
“Things that we can change are really few and they include moderate alcohol intake, active lifestyle and not being overweight.”
Nietz said they are expecting that the cancer numbers are going to double by the year 2030.
“We need to build capacity and we can’t do it alone because we get a huge number of women coming to the hospital.”
Nietz thanked the Rotary Anns for their wonderful contributions for making an impact on the lives of women.
Rotary Anns handed over many bags which had knitted knockers and care bags for mastectomy patients and bras for patients who don’t have a bra to fit the knocker in.
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