HVO HELPS MARK HUGHES IN THE FIGHT AGAINST BRAIN CANCER

Staff at a Hunter Valley coal mine have raised $10,000 to help the Mark Hughes Foundation (MHF) to continue its fight against brain cancer.

Hunter Valley Operations’ (HVO) general manager, Dave Foster, presented the funds, on behalf of the mine’s staff, to MHF co-founder, Mark Hughes, at a training day at the Singleton Civic Centre on April 21.

Mr Foster said the money had been raised by staff purchasing hard hats with a specially designed logo.

He said with several members of the HVO workforce having a personal experience with brain cancer, the team wanted to do something practical and visible onsite to support them and others.

“While the HVO workforce have bought MHF beanies, these can’t always be worn on-site, so we came up with the hard hat idea,” Mr Foster said.

“The project is about raising much needed funds for brain cancer support but also raising awareness about brain cancer and the work of Mark Hughes Foundation among all of our staff and contractors,” he said.

Mr Hughes said the money will go towards raising awareness about brain cancer, funding innovative research and providing support to people impacted by brain cancer and their families. He said alarmingly very little is known about brain cancer, its causes or how it can be best treated.

“We’re very grateful for the support from HVO and its staff,” Mr Hughes said.

“Support from organisations and local people has helped MHF to fund research by HMRI and other national researchers, community brain cancer care co-ordinators and MHF nurses at John Hunter Hospital,” he said.

“We are hoping the community will consider supporting our work again this year through our Beanies for Brain Cancer campaign, which includes the NRL Beanie for Brain Cancer Round between June 29 and July 2.”

Since Mark and Kirralee Hughes founded MHF in 2013, following Mark’s diagnosis with brain cancer, it has raised more than $24 million. Around 1,200 Australians die from brain cancer each year. Brain cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in children, and adults aged under 40 in Australia. Survival rates have only increased by 1 per cent in the past 30 years.

HVO employs approximately 1,500 people at its mine in Lemington, north of Singleton. MHF is one of the charities and causes the mine and its staff support in addition to those supported through its bi-annual community grants, charity truck tray partnerships and workplace giving programs.

To find out more about MHF services or to support its work visit www.markhughesfoundation.com.au. To find out more about HVO’s community support visit www.hvo.com.au/community.