Two incredible community fundraisers, Denise Lindsell and Brooke Smeekens Coleman, had great success of the Kununurra Black Tie fundraiser in WA. The event raised over $120,000. The money was then split between two organisations: Bowel Cancer Australia and GI Cancer Institute.
Kununurra, located 3000km from Perth, is a small town with a strong sense of community. Denise and Brooke experienced this firsthand during the inaugural Black Tie Fundraiser they organised two years ago. When local Kununurra businessman Stephen Woodhead was diagnosed with a rare and inoperable form of stomach cancer in 2022, Denise and Brooke chose to host the event once more, this time to raise funds for GI Cancer and bowel cancer.
Stephen was initially given a 37.7 percent chance of surviving beyond five years. After his diagnoses, Stephen and his partner Angela relocated to Queensland, which had more access to care options. He received the heartbreaking news in July 2023 that the cancer had progressed.
Sadly, in March 2024, Stephen lost his battle to the disease, leaving behind Angela, family and friends. In the week following the event, Angela’s father Colt passed away unexpectedly after also suffering from the same type of stomach cancer as Stephen. In the span of three months, Angela lost the two men closest to her to the same type of cancer.
Stories such as these illustrate the dire need for funding of life-saving research, particularly in remote areas like Kununurra, where people have difficulty accessing oncology appointments and clinical trials.
We wish to thank Denise and Brooke for running this amazing event; to the lovely community of Kununurra for their generosity; and to Angela and her loved ones, who have provided their support to GI Cancer whilst enduring such devastating heartbreak.
