Two years ago Cadel Sumner lost his mum, Susie, a hero, to pancreatic cancer and the people in his football club, Curl Curl FC, as good people do, wrapped their arms about their mate and did their best. They had Susie as an example.
Before she passed she was active in helping create better patient programs for folks with pancreatic cancer. She walked with Cadel and hundreds of people on Manly Beach, all of them decked out in purple to raise awareness of Pankind, the foundation whose sole mission is to dramatically increase survival rates and quality of life for people impacted by pancreatic cancer.
You wouldn’t get a greater cause. And you wouldn’t get a greater giver than Susie Sumner, who was still fighting to improve other people’s lives as cancer claimed her own. Bottom line: she did her bloody best.
It’s a legacy which lives on today through Pankind’s “Play in Purple” initiative. Play In Purple round will run across two weekends – June 12-13 and 19-20 – and MWFA clubs can choose which one to don purple socks.
Scary stuff: Pancreatic cancer is projected to claim more lives than breast cancer and prostate cancer, and each year almost 4,000 people will be diagnosed. Approximately 80 per cent of patients diagnosed will die within 12 months. The disease has the lowest survival rates of all main cancer types yet pancreatic cancer trails behind other cancers when it comes to funding for research, receiving less than 8 per cent of the funding available.
Want to help? Of course you do. Click here to purchase a pair of socks, they’re $15. Click here to simply donate. Every team in MWFA has a #PlayinPurple participation pack including a social media guide. Tag your people on the socials with the campaign hashtags #playinpurple #pancreaticcancer @pankindfoundation. Sydney FC is Pankind’s A-League partner and will be supporting the cause with 500 match day tickets for high-participating clubs.
Stuart Hodge, Football NSW CEO, says: “We kindly encourage our amazing football family to do their bit in getting behind this quality initiative and we cannot wait to see the code decked out in Purple to show their support for this wonderful cause in the fight against pancreatic cancer.”
MWFA chief David Mason says everyone in local football is “proud to support Purple Sock Day to help raise awareness for pancreatic cancer. Grassroots football plays an important role in our community and we encourage as many teams and clubs as possible to get behind the #PlayinPurple campaign.”
Susie Sumner would agree.
Key information:
- #PlayinPurple 2021 runs on two weekends in June 12/13 or 19/20 (clubs choose their round to play in purple socks);
- All players, clubs and codes are encouraged to participate Australia wide, with a simple change of your local club socks to purple socks for one weekend;
- The PanKind purple socks are $15 per pair and the funds raised will go toward pancreatic cancer research and patient support;
- Pankind has “reinvented” the purple sock design this year to “bring new excitement to the campaign”;
- Socks can be ordered through the online store https://fcw.com.au/shop-product/pankind-foundation-socks/
- Clubs and associations are able to make a direct donation to PanKind https://playinpurple.raisely.com/
