Pink Ribbon Breakfast, Breast Cancer Foundation NZ’s largest annual fundraising campaign which takes place every May, has been extended to 17 June, due to a lack of registrations.

Chief executive Ah-Leen Rayner says that a third fewer Pink Ribbon Breakfasts have been hosted this year, representing a drop in income of roughly $600,000.

The charity is desperate to make up the shortfall in order to ensure its services aren't impacted, and it’s urging more people across the country to host their own Pink Ribbon Breakfast.

“In our third year of the pandemic, and with an under-resourced health system, breast cancer patients are really feeling the effects. Since Covid-19, the demand on our support services has increased significantly. Our specialist breast care nurses, who provide free tailored advice to thousands of women, are stretched to the limit, with four times as many calls coming in to our 0800 support line,” says Rayner.

“We'll always be there for patients, but if we can't meet our fundraising target, it will limit the impact we can have. So please, sign up to host a Pink Ribbon Breakfast to help make a difference for women going through breast cancer.”

Pink Ribbon Breakfast is where tens of thousands of Kiwis come together for good to raise vital funds for Breast Cancer Foundation NZ. Pink Ribbon events can be hosted anywhere, at any time, and registrations will close on 17 June.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer for New Zealand women, with around 3,500 women diagnosed with it each year . The money raised from every Pink Ribbon Breakfast goes towards ground-breaking research, awareness and education programmes, and patient support services.

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