About The Grocery Charity Ball Trust

Started in 2004, The Grocery Charity Ball Trust has been established to run the premier event on the grocery industry social calendar, and direct the profits to charitable trusts in New Zealand.
The annual event is held with the support of both Foodstuffs and Progressive, as well as the New Zealand Food & Grocery Council.

The Trust is administered by six trustees:

	Don Graham, Business Development Manager, William Aitken & Co, 021 453 236
	Ross MacKenzie, Managing Director, Old Fashioned Foods Group, 021 542 206
	Scott MacKay, Director, Tosco, 021 636 167
	Rob Davis, Director, Admission, 021 653 357
	Leanne Carroll, International Business Manager ANZ, Cerebos Gregg's, 027 221 2588

 

Melanoma benefits from 2010 Ball

The Melanoma Foundation of New Zealand is a registered charitable trust, a young charity formed in 2004, which is working hard to reduce the incidence and dreadful impact of melanoma in New Zealand.

New Zealand has the highest melanoma incidence rate in the world. Recent figures put our incidence even ahead of Australia's. Every year around 300 New Zealanders die from melanoma and there are 2000 new diagnoses. The death rates amongst New Zealand men are even increasing! These are shocking statistics for a cancer that is largely preventable.

Although most early melanoma is successfully treated through surgery, once melanoma is invasive it is a horrible cancer. Chemotherapy and radiotherapy are not proven to assist in treatment of Stage 4 melanoma. Melanoma is taking the lives of many young adults as well as older New Zealanders.

The Melanoma Foundation works in three goal areas:

• Improving the outcome for people affected by melanoma. This includes providing information and support for patients and their families. They also advocate that New Zealanders should be offered service and treatment equal to the best in the world. In the future they hope to be able to support melanoma research and better facilities.
• Community awareness and education about melanoma in the interest of prevention and early detection of melanoma.
• Fostering communication and co-ordination amongst professionals whose work relates to melanoma.