Cathy McGowan (Indi, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

This month Indi is going teal for Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month and Teal Ribbon Day. Visitors to Wodonga are being greeted by clotheslines full of teal knickers flapping in the breeze. They are there to promote an initiative of the Border Ovarian Cancer Awareness Group and the Wodonga Chamber of Commerce, who are challenging locals to buy teal underpants and wear them on the outside for tomorrow's Teal Ribbon Day. Local identities including Wodonga Councillor Anna Speedie and Wodonga Chamber of Commerce's Bernie Squire will be showing their teal knickers off around Wodonga's CBD tomorrow, while nearly 100 businesses have signed up to sell teal ribbons during February.

Ovarian cancer kills over 800 Australian women annually and is known as the silent killer. With a five-year survival rate of just 43 per cent and over 1,400 Australian women diagnosed with the disease annually.

Also on Thursday, Goulburn Valley Health service staff in Shepparton will come together for their annual teal breakfast. Along with a delicious meal, participants will receive a ribbon and will listen to a guest speaker detail her personal journey with ovarian cancer. This will raise much needed funds. I give my warmest congratulations to event organisers Heather, Bernie and Carmel for raising the profile of ovarian cancer in Indi.

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