Summary

Registration form issued by the Breast Cancer Network Australia for the Field of Women Live event. The Field of Women Live event was held on 6 May 2005 and was part of a suite of successful marketing campaigns to raise funds for and awareness of breast cancer in Australia. The event saw 11,500 women (the same number diagnosed with breast cancer in Australia each year) form the shape of a woman on the MCG. Participants were required to pay a $25 registration fee for which they received a pink raincoat and the opportunity to participate in the event. It was so popular that organisers were forced to turn people away.

Other fundraising and awareness campaigns that year were: AFl clubs signing pink Sherrin footballs which were then auctioned on eBay, and the sale of pink items such as Baker's Delight special Breast cancer 'pink' buns.

Description of Content

"Field of women Live in 2005" Registration brochure required participants to pay a $25 fee. They received a rain coat, and the opportunity to stand in formation at the MGC to be shown around the world and participant were treated to a free footy game afterwards. "Field of women Live in 2005"

Physical Description

Leaflet which can be folded into three. On one side there is a black and white photograph of three women, below them there is white text on a pink background. The other side has registration form on one third consisting of white boxes and text on a dark blue background, while the other two thirds have a black and white photograph of a woman and below her is white text on a pink background. There are also the logos of the Breast Cancer Network Australia, Australia Post, Baker's Delight, the AFL and KAZ.

Significance

This item represents the different methods and items used to raise awareness of and funds for breast cancer which affects most Australians either directly, through a positive diagnosis, or indirectly, having a family member, friend or colleague diagnosed with the disease.

Breast Cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed in women, in Australia there are approximately 11,700 new cases of breast cancer and 2,600 deaths each year. The risk of breast cancer increases with age, and one in every nine Australian women will be diagnosed with breast cancer by the age of 85.

Early detection is the best method of survival with the 5-year survival rate for women diagnosed with breast cancer being 88.3% in 2006. Since the mid 1990s there has been an emphasis on raising awareness of breast cancer, the importance of early detection and risk factors which saw a 27% decrease in the number of women who lost their lives to breast cancer between 1994 and 1996.

The use of pink as a part of breast cancer awareness and fundraising campaigns is common, from the wearing of pink and selling of pink products, such as pink ribbons or pink bottled water, to larger events such as the field of women live, which saw 11,500 women wearing pink ponchos form the shape of a woman on the MCG. The use of funds raised via these initiatives goes towards prevention programs, support services and research.

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