IN THE PINK: Wrapping cotton for a cause

Cotton picking has been underway across the region with bales of the fabulous fibre being wrapped up and trucked to gins.

The Courier was driving down Dorren Lane recently and admired a glorious row of pink bales at the Parish’s property just outside Wee Waa.

Farmer Jenny Parish explained a portion of the pink TamaWrap’s costs are donated to the vital McGrath Foundation and the bright pink colour also raises awareness.

The Foundation is a breast cancer support and education charity, raising money to fund McGrath Breast Care Nurses who provide invaluable support and care to individuals and families experiencing breast cancer.

From diagnosis right throughout treatment, McGrath Breast Care Nurses are available to help for free and with no referral.

“These nurses are crucial in regional and rural areas where treatment and support might be hard to find,” said Mrs Parish, who is humble about her contributions but has been an active part of different community and local fundraising initiatives over the years.

“The nurses provide expert knowledge, personal care, and genuine compassion to those suffering this insidious disease. Cancer doesn’t discriminate and there are many lives everywhere that have been impacted by this disease.”

Wee Waa farmer Jenny Parish with her beloved dogs Rhino and Nala, who kindly posed for a photo.

Jeff and Jenny Parish’s family farms ‘Carrera’ and ‘Ti Trees’, now farmed by the family’s third generation, have harvested their cotton crop for the season and along with other growers in the district, the sea of pink lining driveways and pick-up points show the support for the critical work carried out by the McGrath Foundation and its nurses.

Readers would know Jane McGrath is the late wife of Australian cricketing great Glenn McGrath and the co-founder of the McGrath Foundation. Her experience with breast cancer and the impact of her own breast care nurse set her commitment and the mission for the Foundation: to ensure that every family experiencing breast cancer would have access to a breast care nurse no matter where they lived – for free.

Jane sadly passed away in 2008, having secured funding for 50 McGrath Breast Care Nurses and with the Foundation set to carry on her mission.

Today, the McGrath Foundation funds an impressive 223 McGrath Breast Care Nurses, across Australia, who have provided care and support to over 137,000 families since 2005.

The pink cotton modules would traditionally be in yellow wrap, however, coloured wraps supporting a good cause have been embraced by the cotton industry, earlier this year, The Courier featured a story about Cotton Growers Services and Plant and Pick Spares joining forces to introduce a new quality module wrap option.

In a win-win for cotton communities, proceeds from the bright purple wrap sales go towards supporting local projects.