Wednesday 25 August, 2010

Raine & Horne joins fight against childhood cancer

Oncology Children’s Foundation ambassador and West Tigers rugby league legend Benji Marshall joined Raine & Horne CEO Angus Raine at Rozelle Public School to launch an exciting new paediatric cancer research scholarship.

Each of the 16 Raine & Horne offices in Sydney's Inner West has donated a minimum of $2000 to fund the the Raine & Horne Col Reynolds Postgraduate Scholarship in Paediatric Cancer Research, a postgraduate research sponsorship worth $32,000.

The Oncology Children's Foundation (OCF) is a successful Australian charity dedicated to finding cures for childhood cancers.

Named after OCF founder Col Reynolds, the scholarship will be awarded to an outstanding young Australian researcher.

Other dignitaries at the launch included OCF Founder Col Reynolds and OCF CEO Ross Lewis, as well as two classes of students from Rozelle Public School.

Addressing the large gathering of Sydney’s sporting media, Mr Raine said that Raine & Horne was committed to supporting OCFs worthy work.

“The OCF does not receive government funding so the scholarship will help finance an outstanding young researcher in Australia who is committed to finding cures for the cancers that affect children," Mr Raine said.

OCF founder Col Reynolds started the foundation when he was a coach driver, transporting children from oncology wards on day-trips and outings. After founding OCF, the need for better treatments and cures became increasingly apparent. Mr Reynolds started with the ambition of raising $1 million. To date OCF has contributed more than $10 million to childhood cancer research.

League superstar Benji Marshall, who lost his father, grandmother and other members of his extended family to various forms of cancer, said he understood how tough cancer was on families and said he was honoured to be an OCF ambassador.

“I’d like to thank Raine & Horne Inner West for its support. Without the support of businesses such as Raine & Horne, the [scholarship] wouldn’t have been possible," Marshall said.

The West Tigers flyer also took the opportunity to launch the Benji Marshall Foundation and confirmed all profits would be donated to OCF.

Marshall met with young Lleyton Giles, who has a terminal liver condition, at a recent West Tigers and Panthers game.

“It’s different to see adults suffer. But to see children who don’t have a chance to live their life, that is so much harder.

“If I can do one thing to help the cause to find a cure for cancer, I feel like I’m doing my job as part of the community and in my role as a rugby league role model.

Marshall, Angus Raine and OCF CEO Ross Lewis then combined to judge a Lego house building competition, which was won by two happy Year 2 students from Rozelle Public School.

The participating Raine & Horne offices are:

Annandale, Ashfield, Balmain, Bardwell Park, Belfield, Burwood, Concord, Drummoyne, Five Dock, Haberfield, Leichhardt, Marrickville, Newtown, Petersham, Strathfield, and Summer Hill.

For more information, contact Raine & Horne at pr@rh.com.au or call 1800 065 872.

Websites: www.ocf.com.au and www.rh.com.au

boy wearing a mask

MEDIA RELEASE

Wednesday 25^th of August, 2010

Raine & Horne joins fight against childhood cancer

Oncology Children’s Foundation ambassador and West Tigers legend Benji Marshall joined Raine & Horne CEO Angus Raine, in launching an exciting new paediatric cancer research scholarship at Rozelle Public School today.

The leading property group has established the Raine & Horne Col Reynolds Postgraduate Scholarship in Paediatric Cancer Research, which is a postgraduate research sponsorship worth $32,000.

OCF is a successful Australian charity dedicated to finding cures for childhood cancers and each Raine & Horne office in the Inner West has donated a minimum $2,000 to this worthy cause.

The scholarship, which is named after the founder of the OCF Col Reynolds, will be awarded to an outstanding young researcher in Australia who is committed to finding cures for the cancers that affect children.

Other dignitaries included OCF Founder Col Reynolds and Ross Lewis OCF CEO, while two classes of eager students from Rozelle Public also made their presence felt.

Addressing a phalanx of Sydney’s sporting media, Mr Raine said, “The OCF does not receive government funding, so the scholarship will help finance an outstanding young researcher in Australia who is committed to finding cures for the cancers that affect children.”

League superstar Benji Marshall who lost his father, grandmother and other members of his extended family to the insidious disease, said, “I know what a lot of families have been through. It means a lot to be an ambassador for this cause.”

“I’d like to thank Raine & Horne Inner West for its support. Without the support of businesses such as Raine & Horne, the [scholarship] wouldn’t have been possible.”

The West Tigers flyer also took the opportunity to launch the Benji Marshall Foundation and confirmed all profits will be donated to the Oncology Children’s Foundation.

Recently, Marshall famously met young Lleyton Giles, who has a terminal liver condition at the recent West Tigers and Panthers game.

“It’s different to see adults suffer. But to see children who don’t have a chance to live their life, that is so much harder.

“If I can do one thing to help the cause to find a cure for cancer, I feel like I’m doing my job as part of the community and my role as a rugby league role model,” said Marshall.

Marshall, Raine and OCF CEO Ross Lewis then combined to judge a Lego House building competition which was won by two very happy year two students from Rozelle Public.

NOTE TO EDITORS:

Col Reynolds is the founder of the Oncology Children’s Foundation. Col, a coach-driver started by taking children from the oncology wards on day-trips and outings. After founding OCF the need for better treatments and cures became increasingly apparent to him and he began with the lofty ambition of raising $1 million for childhood cancer research. To date OCF has contributed more than $10 million to research.

This program will run during Spring from 1^st September to 30^th November, 2010.

There are 16 Raine & Horne offices in Sydney’s Inner West, each is committed to donating a minimum of $2000 to The Raine & Horne Col Reynolds Postgraduate Scholarship in Paediatric Cancer Research

The offices taking part are:

Annandale, Ashfield , Balmain, Bardwell Park ,Belfield, Burwood, Concord, Drummoyne

Five Dock, Haberfield, Leichhardt, Marrickville, Newtown, Petersham, Strathfield, Summer Hill

Websites: www.ocf.com.au and www.rh.com.au

For more information, please contact:

pr@rh.com.au