There was plenty of heart on show at The Victoria Bathurst yesterday as members of the community visited the venue to leave their mark on a pink mural for breast cancer awareness.
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At the cost of a gold coin donation, each person picked up a paintbrush and their colour of choice to produce a heart symbolising the courage of people who have been affected by breast cancer.
The event was held in conjunction with Pink Up Bathurst, a month-long fundraiser encouraging local businesses, organisations and community groups to 'go pink' for a good cause.
Pink Up Bathurst organiser Meg McKenna said the project received an outstanding response from the community.
"We had a great number of people turn out right from the start, and it was amazing to see the hearts begin to populate the wall," Ms McKenna said.
"Although Pink Up Bathurst is only in its first year, there's been a positive reaction thus far."
The fundraising goal for Pink Up Bathurst is $20,000, with the proceeds set to assist the McGrath Foundation in providing roles for breast care nurses throughout Australia.
While women are more at risk of developing breast cancer, Ms McKenna said the incorporation of blue hearts into the mural reflects the potential for men to contract the disease.
"Around one per cent of breast cancer cases occur in men and their condition is often diagnosed when the cancerous cells have metastasised," she said.
Mural designer Meg Allan said the idea behind the design was to show how breast cancer can affect anyone.
"Breast cancer in men isn't talked about as much, so it's important to bring awareness to breast cancer as a whole," Ms Allan said.
"Everybody came with a story to tell through the paint and for some people, it was a rather emotional experience.
"So many lives have been affected by breast cancer, and it's important to maintain conversation around the issue."
According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, an estimated one in seven women and one in 675 men are at risk of developing breast cancer before they turn 85.
Pink Up Bathurst has a series of fundraising events scheduled for the remainder of the month and for more information, visit the initiative's Facebook page.
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Sam Bolt
"I'm not in the business of telling people what to do. I'm much more in the business of describing things, situations and stuff like that and leaving them out there, and you can make up your minds about them." -Nick Cave
"I'm not in the business of telling people what to do. I'm much more in the business of describing things, situations and stuff like that and leaving them out there, and you can make up your minds about them." -Nick Cave
