Gatsby raises funds for Breast Cancer education

The recent Gatsby Comes to Abbeville event raised more than $11,000 for the New Zealand Breast Cancer Foundation.

The inaugural Auckland Airport Business District charity event, held on Saturday 1 December at Abbeville Estate, was a resounding success, according to Peter Alexander, General Manager Property for Auckland Airport. 

"Auckland Airport is keen to partner with the community around us in a raft of meaningful ways, making great use of our many outstanding facilities, as we did with the Gatsby event at Abbeville for the Breast Cancer Foundation," he says.

"The event had a great turn out and everyone enjoyed themselves immensely – the weather certainly turned it on for us! We look forward to hosting charity events like this on an annual basis."

The money raised was officially presented to the New Zealand Breast Cancer Foundation today, and Evangelia Henderson, Chief Executive of the Foundation says the money will help fund its national educators, who work in communities around New Zealand.

"We know that early detection of breast cancer gives women the best chance of survival, and that means starting mammograms at 40," she says. “Without the funds raised by companies like Auckland Airport, we couldn’t reach as many women with this important message.”

The event was themed in celebration of the upcoming Baz Luhrmann remake of The Great Gatsby, starring Leonardo di Caprio and Carey Mulligan, and was attended by a number of prominent Aucklanders, including Dame Rosie Horton. Abbeville Estate, which features a number of carefully restored historic buildings, will play host to the 2013 summer charity event.

Additional Information

·         Abbeville Estate is a quality boutique development which is unique to this area and complementary to the cultural landscape. It is located in an area situated within the Auckland Airport Business District precinct called “The Common”, and is comprised of carefully restored heritage buildings. The Common includes heritage and recreation activities, as well as weddings and other functions to showcase New Zealand food and wine

·         The Auckland Airport Business District is one of New Zealand’s fastest-growing economic hubs. Almost 22,000 people work around Auckland Airport, more than Newmarket’s entire workforce, and hundreds of businesses call it home. The Auckland Airport Business District is surrounded by a rich community of businesses and services that offer people the opportunity to work, rest, shop, play dine and fly – all in one location

·         The New Zealand Breast Cancer Foundation (NZBCF) is a not-for-profit charitable trust and is totally reliant on grants and donations from the New Zealand public. The NZBCF is the country’s foremost breast cancer education and awareness organisation, promoting promote awareness of breast cancer, providing information and education, and raising funds to support breast cancer-related initiatives, including research, scholarships, medical grants, community education and a breast cancer patient register. The Foundation was specifically established to educate all New Zealanders on the life-saving benefits of early detection and the importance of mammograms. The ‘pink ribbon’ is the international symbol of breast cancer and trademarked to the Foundation in New Zealand. October is International Breast Cancer Awareness Month and the Foundation’s major fundraising event. The month is supported by an extensive multi-media awareness campaign, education programme, the sale of pink ribbons through retailers nationwide and the Pink Ribbon Day Street Appeal