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Canberra Today 13°/18° | Friday, March 29, 2024 | Digital Edition | Crossword & Sudoku

Fundraising bodypainting calendar comes to Canberra

Rachelle Panitz | organiser and breast cancer surviver. Photographed by Canberra Photographer Hilary Wardhaugh

8 BREAST cancer survivors from New South Wales and Queensland are experiencing a once in a lifetime bodypaint photo shoot to help raise awareness that #younggirlsgetbreastcancer too.

Following on from amazing success and empowering experiences for 5 young breast cancer survivors in Victoria, the Breast Cancer Fundraiser Calendar have begin a road trip tour starting in Canberra, going to the Blue Mountains, Sydney, the Gold Coast, Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast and finishing by ANZAC Day 2016.

Internationally known in her field, face and bodypaint artist, Wendy Fantasia, will be painting all the models, which will transform these brave women into beautiful works of body paint artistry all in the name of metamorphosis through this empowering creative endeavour.

Each model takes approximately 6-7 hours to paint.

14 photographers are generously donating their time and expertise tophotographing and collating the Calendar.

The photos will appear in a nationwide calendar available for sale to raise funds for the National Breast Cancer Foundation. NBCF is Australia’s leading community-supported organisation dedicated to funding high quality research into the prevention, detection and treatment of breast cancer.

When NBCF was founded in 1994, 30% of women diagnosed with breast cancer passed away from the disease. In 20 years, this figure has halved.

This achievement is primarily due to research – the most effective way to improve the prevention, detection and treatment of breast cancer – and the support of community fundraisers like the Breast Cancer Fundraiser Calendar.

Interest in participation has been high, which may see the Calendar project becoming an annual event.

Breast Cancer affects younger women uniquely as they often have young families, deal with fertility issues, are only early into their careers and face significant body image issues.

All models were diagnosed under 40 years old. A breast cancer diagnosis involves treatments like chemotherapy, radiation, surgeries, fertility treatments, hormone therapies and immunotherapies which change a younger woman’s physical body, her identity, her image, her place in society.

This charity project and ‘passion project’ is the brain child of Rachelle Panitz, herself a Breast Cancer Survivor, diagnosed when she was 32.

When breast cancer turned her family and professional life upside down she decided that when she was better she would harness this setback and help empower other women. She has learnt that within us all are superpowers and she can help women find all their wonderful strengths and aptitudes to became powerful, successful & confident. Rachelle will also feature in the calendar.

A professional documentary crew led by Michael Jones of Filthy Look Films will also be creating a documentary of the creation of and stories of the Calendar which will screen later this year.

Pre-sale support is now available through rachellepanitz.com

Calendars will be available for sale later this year, in conjunction with screenings of the documentary and launch events. To join the list for further updates bit.ly/bccalendarlist.

Further information on the Calendar is available at rachellepanitz.com at her facebook page facebook.com

[Photo by Hilary Wardhaugh
Credit for body painting is wendyfantasia.com]

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