Karaka School teacher on a mission to raise funds to fight gut cancers
A Karaka School teacher who has lost at least four family members to bowel and stomach cancer is on a mission to raise money for The Gut Foundation.
Kim Sutton is preparing to bike, hike and raft 243 km from the West Coast to Christchurch in just six days, to raise $2000 for the organisation supporting people who suffer from gut cancers.
Sutton is an adventurer by nature - she has done nine of the 10 great walks and has the tenth one scheduled for December this year.
But since deciding to take on this challenge for the Gut Foundation, she’s been on a new journey, learning just how far the cancer spread throughout her family.
“My mum's dad passed away from bowel cancer when my mum was 20 years old so unfortunately didn't get to meet him,” she said.
“Through doing this fundraising and talking to family members I've found out more have been affected by it.
“It's made my connection to people who have suffered from the various gut cancers even stronger and more meaningful.”
Sutton has managed to raise $870 so far.
Gut cancers include oesophageal, stomach, liver, gallbladder, bile duct, pancreatic, and bowel cancers.
Collectively, gut cancers are the most common type of cancer in New Zealand, with more than 5,700 new cases diagnosed each year. Sadly, more than half of those diagnosed will not survive beyond 5 years.
To donate, visit: coast-to-coast-challenge.raisely.com...
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⚠️ DOGS DIE IN HOT CARS. If you love them, don't leave them. ⚠️
It's a message we share time and time again, and this year, we're calling on you to help us spread that message further.
Did you know that calls to SPCA about dogs left inside hot cars made up a whopping 11% of all welfare calls last summer? This is a completely preventable issue, and one which is causing hundreds of dogs (often loved pets) to suffer.
Here are some quick facts to share with the dog owners in your life:
👉 The temperature inside a car can heat to over 50°C in less than 15 minutes.
👉 Parking in the shade and cracking windows does little to help on a warm day. Dogs rely on panting to keep cool, which they can't do in a hot car.
👉 This puts dogs at a high risk of heatstroke - a serious condition for dogs, with a mortality rate between 39%-50%.
👉 It is an offence under the Animal Welfare Act to leave a dog in a hot vehicle if they are showing signs of heat stress. You can be fined, and prosecuted.
SPCA has created downloadable resources to help you spread the message even further. Posters, a flyer, and a social media tile can be downloaded from our website here: www.spca.nz...
We encourage you to use these - and ask your local businesses to display the posters if they can. Flyers can be kept in your car and handed out as needed.
This is a community problem, and one we cannot solve alone. Help us to prevent more tragedies this summer by sharing this post.
On behalf of the animals - thank you ❤️