According to the National Breast Cancer Foundation (NBCF), one in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime, and seven women die every day from breast cancer in Australia. But because of breast cancer research, those numbers will hopefully see a decline. When NBCF was founded in 1994, 30% of women with breast cancer passed away. In less than 20 years, that percentage has halved — most likely because of progress in breast cancer research.
So when Annalisa Holmes heard about a trip to trek through Peru to fundraise for breast cancer research, she knew she had to participate. Annalisa is the founder of the Transcription People, which offers affordable transcription services and is Australia’s leading outsourced digital transcription company. Annalisa, who also works for the NBCF and is participating in the trip as an NBCF ambassador, has had an almost 30-year battle with breast disease and has undergone a double mastectomy. So when she decided she didn’t want to go on the trek alone, her close friend Johanna Baker-Dowdell was thrilled to step up to support Annalisa’s strength and the strength of other breast cancer patients and survivors. Johanna is the founder of her own business as well, Strawberry Communications out of Launceston.
Johanna says she’s passionate about empowering other people to talk about what they’re passionate about, which is part of the reason she was so thrilled to take on this journey with Annalisa. Annalisa and Johanna hope to raise a combined $22,000 for their trip. $20,000 of that will go to supporting breast cancer research at the NBCF whose goal is to eliminate deaths caused by breast cancer by 2030. The remaining amount will go towards funding the rest of their trip. So far, Annalisa and Johanna have raised $7,000 through their online fundraising campaign and through hosting fundraising events such as a Mexican feast, cupcake sales, a film screening and a garage sale.
They are now planning an upcoming online auction or raffle, as well as a fundraising walking tour in late July or early August. They are also planning on starting a corporate sponsorship program for their trip in the near future. They hope to promote their sponsors on social media before and during their trip, as well as print t-shirts displaying the names of their sponsors and wear them during their trek in the Peruvian Andes to Machu Picchu.
To donate to Annalisa and Johanna’s trip and help their cause of fighting breast cancer, visit their fundraising page. And to follow their fundraising and training journey, watch Johanna’s #TrekTowardsACurePeru YouTube video blog.
This post was co-authored by Courtney Sweeney. Courtney is currently completing a journalism internship at HerBusiness. She studies journalism, political science, and public relations at Michigan State University in the United States.
