FUNDRAISING

PROSTATENEWSISSUE 59 / JANUARY 2015REDUCING THE IMPACT OF PROSTATE CANCER

CUTTING EDGE RESEARCH

Contents Around the Country ...........................................................Page 03

Research ...........................................................................Page 05

Awareness .........................................................................Page 07

Health Programs & Nursing ...............................................Page 09

Support ...................................................................................... Page 10

Fundraising ........................................................................Page 12

Partnerships ......................................................................Page 14

Annual Training Event for the Prostate Cancer Specialist Nursing

Service. Read more on page 8

The Long Ride 2014. Read more on page 12.

CONTENTS & NATIONAL BOARD

Cover shot: Associate Professor Lisa Butler assembles world class team in bid to develop new biomarkers. Read more on page 5.

Copy and feedback

Prostate News is Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia’s newsletter. It comes out three times a year. Prostate News is distributed in hard copy as well as digitally. Should you want to receive Prostate News on a regular basis, please send an email with your contact details and preference, to our database team at enquiries@pcfa.org.au. Should you want to order more copies, you can send them an email as well.

PCFA highly values your feedback. Should you have any, please email to Marieke Koets, Manager Marketing and Communications, marieke.koets@pcfa.org.au. You can read all of our previous Prostate News issues on our website pcfa.org.au

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CEO MESSAGE

On 4 December 2014 at the Union for International Cancer Control’s World Cancer Congress in Melbourne we launched the public consultation for our clinical

practice guidelines on PSA testing and early management of test-detected prostate cancer.

Whilst there is common agreement amongst health professional bodies, including Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia, that there is currently insufficient evidence to support a population based PSA screening program for prostate cancer, there is a lack of consensus on what advice to offer a man who requests

a PSA test or his doctor. This causes widespread confusion to men and their health advisers. Notwithstanding the confusion, about 20% of Australian men aged 45 to 74 have a PSA test every year, which is similar to the participation rate of eligible women in the BreastScreen Australia program.

The draft guidelines were developed by a multi-disciplinary Expert Advisory Panel which included general practitioners, public health experts, urologists, pathologists, allied health professionals and consumer representatives and are a joint initiative of Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia and Cancer Council Australia.

The draft guidelines are intended to be used in the present PSA testing context; that is interactions between men and their doctors in which a man might request a

PSA test or his doctor might offer one. They do not propose a national PSA screening program. They are intended to bring order to the present situation and to ensure that men and their doctors are able to make informed choices based on the latest available evidence.

This initiative breaks new ground in Australia and internationally and we are confident will finally resolve the long standing controversy over PSA testing. For further details see page 7.

Associate Professor Anthony Lowe,Chief Executive Officer, PCFA

CEO Message Breaking new (inter)national ground

National Board

ChairmanDavid Sandoe OAM

Deputy ChairmanJim Hughes AM

Finance & OperationsChris Hall (Chairman)

Awareness & EducationDr David Malouf (Chairman)

National Support GroupsIan Wagner (Chairman)

Marketing & FundraisingSteve Callister (Chairman)

RotaryJohn Palmer

State ChairmenTony Sonneveld OAM (NSW/ACT)Peter Gebert (VIC/ TAS)Bill Munro (WA)Distinguished Professor Judith Clements (QLD)Michael Brock (SA/NT)

Professor John Mills

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AROUND THE COUNTRY

Victoria’s and Tasmania’s highlights2014 has provided some fantastic highlights for PCFA in Victoria & Tasmania. The number of community fundraisers has grown tremendously and the Biggest Ever Blokes Lunch concept saw approximately 4,700 people attend the 11 regional events, including the first ever in Wagga, Casey-Cardinia, Hobart and Mildura.

We had a very successful Big Aussie Barbie campaign with Greyhound Racing Victoria in September as well as successful gala nights held by Simons Ball in Launceston and the Charity Boys in Melbourne.

We are also delighted to announce that His Excellency, the Honourable Alex Chernov, AC, QC, Governor of Victoria has kindly agreed to be the Patron of PCFA in Victoria.

Phantom of the OperaThrough the very generous support of Ian Westrip of ICW Productions, guests of PCFA enjoyed a spectacular opening night performance of Phantom of the Opera, as well as tickets to the after show party. This partnership provides a wonderful opportunity to thank our valued supporters in WA.

Rough Rider Rudling Charity Golf DayThe annual Rough Rider Rudling Charity Golf Day, run by Interwest Financial Services and Giles Partners in memory of Peter Rudling was held on 17 November 2014. PCFA Board Member Max Kay AM CitWA entertained guests at a post-game function with all proceeds from the event donated to PCFA.

PCFA National Chairman thanks yachtiesPCFA’s National Chairman, David Sandoe OAM, hosted a lunch on Sunday 23 November 2014 for the members of the Shag Islet Cruising Yacht Club (SICYC), in order to thank them for their fundraising efforts. In true SICYC style members lingered over a long lunch in between dancing to the sounds of a Caribbean band at the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron.

Commencing in Queensland the SICYC is now Australia-wide with over 3,500 members. Wearing their distinctive sky blue polos, they are a common sight in marinas.

Fundraising in SA in 2014The money boxes at Subway Restaurants were a great success, not only in SA, but also in WA and Victoria. A big thank you goes to volunteer drivers and bankers in all states, including the Melbourne World Police & Fire Games Club for all the help.

Also successful has been the Bottoms Up beer tankard campaign (a nod to the great Aussie bar salute) organised by hospitality corporate sponsors, including members of the Australian Hotels Association. The Good Guys Hectorville were good guys again with a donation from Jason Dansie on the occasion of their fourth birthday.

In the Northern Territory Mrs Natasha Griggs MP - Federal Member for Solomon, recently held a fundraiser to benefit PCFA. Mrs Griggs doubled the amount raised out of her own pocket at the end. A very generous gesture.

David and Pam Sandoe OAM and Anthony and Sarah Lowe hosting SICYC members

Rough Rider Rudling Charity Golf Day

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FUNDRAISING

RESEARCH

Associate Professor Lisa Butler assembles world class team in bid to develop new biomarkers

The Revolutionary Team Award 3 is funded by Movember through PCFA’s Research Program. It is designed in a way that it must address one or more of the following priorities:

• distinguish aggressive from indolent prostate cancer;

• identify men at risk of developing aggressive prostate cancer;

• develop new medical interventions that reduce the side effects experienced from treatment or monitoring of localised disease.

This funding opportunity recognises the tremendous strengths in prostate cancer research and clinical capacity in Australia. We also see an exciting opportunity to link with and build upon the great strengths that exist in Europe and North America. The Movember Foundation Revolutionary Team Award aims to:

• harness existing strengths;

• seize future opportunities;

• foster a collaborative approach to research;

• enable the Australian prostate cancer research community to contribute to a revolutionary impact on the clinical management of prostate cancer.

From May to November 2014 a team of four international experts, comprising leaders in basic and clinical prostate cancer research, have been assessing Expressions of Interest followed by peer review of full applications focusing in the localised diseases.

On 12 November 2014, following a two day meeting held in Sydney, after having conducted a rigorous critique and face to face meetings with the two shortlisted teams located in Melbourne and Adelaide,

the panel awarded $ 3.25 million to a team of national and international experts based at South Australian Health & Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), University of Adelaide. In the next three years, this team will focus their research efforts to develop new strategies in order to (1) distinguish indolent from lethal aggressive forms of prostate cancer and (2) accurately monitor the efficacy of novel therapeutic agents in individual patients.

Program backgroundThe lack of a specific test for prostate cancer diagnosis has led to over diagnosis and overtreatment to men in our community. This is associated with a high psychological onus, serious physical side effects and economic burden. Developing new biomarkers is essential and a priority focus for the prostate cancer community. This program focuses on developing new insights into the role of lipids (fat) in driving the progression of therapy-resistant prostate cancer and will investigate whether lipids can be exploited as biomarkers to identify progressive or high-risk disease. Moreover, developing an imaging perspective to exploit lipid signatures that are selective for low volume prostate cancer is of significant potential impact.

This cutting edge research holds a clear promise to impact on the lives of men diagnosed with prostate cancer. The research team of six leading basic and clinical cancer researchers is led by Associate Professor Lisa Butler, one of the brightest young talents in the country, whose career PCFA has supported since 2003. Dr Butler was one of the first two recipients of a Post-doctoral Fellowships and she has matured into becoming one of the emerging leaders in the field and a fine role model and mentor for the younger generation.

In the research department things keep moving along with Cancer Australia grants being in the final processes of approval and the last Movember Team Award being allocated.

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Researcher backgroundAssociate Professor Lisa Butler is Head of Prostate Cancer Research Group and an Australian Research Council Future Fellow at School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Freemasons Foundation Centre for Men’s Health, South Australian Health & Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI). She holds a Ph.D. in cancer biology from the University of Adelaide, with postdoctoral training at Memorial Sloan-

Kettering Cancer Centre in New York. Dr Butler currently heads a molecular therapeutics research group, focusing on novel combinatorial approaches to target androgen signalling therapeutically in prostate and breast cancer. She also has a strong interest in the development and utilisation of preclinical models of disease, including mouse models and human tissue explants.

This award is the last of the three within the team award category funded by Movember (total $10.5 million). Dr Butler’s Team joins the Garvan Institute Team led by Professor Peter Croucher, working on bone metastasis and the Queensland University of Technology Team, led by Prof Colleen Nelson, that is focusing on new strategies to tackle androgen receptor resistance.

RESEARCH

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AWARENESS

Draft Clinical Practice Guidelines on PSA Testing and Early Management of Test-Detected Prostate CancerOn 4 December Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia and Cancer Council Australia launched the public consultation for our clinical practice guidelines on PSA testing and early management of test-detected prostate cancer.

The draft guidelines are intended to be used in the present PSA testing context; that is interactions between men and their doctors in which a man might request a PSA test or his doctor might offer one. They do not propose a national PSA screening program. They are intended to bring order to the present situation and to ensure that men and their doctors are able to make informed choices based on the latest available evidence.

The draft guidelines contain 38 evidence-based recommendations, consensus based recommendations and practice points. Some of the key evidence-based recommendations are as follows:

For men without a prostate cancer diagnosis or symptoms that might indicate prostate cancer

• For men informed of the benefits and harms of screening who wish to undergo regular testing, offer PSA testing every two years from age 50 to age 69, and offer further investigation if the PSA is greater than 3.0 ng/mL.

• In asymptomatic men interested in undergoing testing for early diagnosis of prostate cancer, digital rectal examination is not recommended as a routine test in the primary care setting.

• Do not offer PSA testing to a man who is unlikely to live another 7 years.

• Offer evidence-based decisional support to men considering whether or not to have a PSA test, including the opportunity to discuss the potential benefits and risks of PSA testing before the decision to test is confirmed.

For men undergoing an initial prostate biopsy

• Take 21–24 cores in initial biopsies for the diagnosis of prostate cancer. In addition to the sextant biopsies, direct 15–18 additional biopsies to the peripheral zones of the prostate.

Active Surveillance and Watchful Waiting

• Offer active surveillance to men with prostate cancer who meet all of the following criteria: PSA< 20 ng/mL, clinical stage T1-2 and Gleason Score 6.

• Advise men with potentially curable prostate cancer considering watchful waiting that their risk of developing more advanced prostate cancer and dying from it will be higher with watchful waiting than with immediate definitive treatment but that, in the medium- to long-term, watchful waiting is unlikely to diminish their wellbeing and quality of life.

The full draft guidelines can be found at: wiki.cancer.org.au/australia/Guidelines: PSA_Testing and on the PCFA website at www.pcfa.org.au/publications/draft-clinical-practice-guidelines-on-psa-testing/

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AWARENESS

Roadshow – Prostate News

Over 6 and 7 November 2014 the presentation team of Dr Michael Chong, Dr Joshua Sappiatzer, Dr Tony Michele and Prostate Cancer Specialist Nurse Sally Sara visited the Best Western Southgate Motel in Mount Gambier for two education sessions. This was the most highly attended PCFA’s Rural Education Roadshow to date.

Over 160 attendees were present for the community session and the venue became standing room only, with men and their partners in attendance from throughout the Limestone Coast. Much of the success of this event was due to the tireless promotion of the event by the Limestone Coast Prostate Cancer Support Group; promoting the event around town, organising a TV advert to air and arranging for a bus to transport men from surrounding town to the event, so that they could attend without having to drive at night. Richard Harry, as well as the neighbouring area Support Groups contributed to the success of this event.

PCFA is also grateful for the support of Troy Bell, MP, State Member for Mount Gambier. Troy graciously delivered the opening address for the community session on 6 November 2014.

We thank him for taking the time out of his busy schedule to support awareness in the Mount Gambier community.

Richard Harry, reflecting on the evening, states: “A positive was the number of people who came along to gain information about prostate cancer. One young woman came along to find out more, as her father has prostate cancer and she had seen the promotion for the evening on TV. Also, at least two Support Groups have gained new members.”

The Roadshow Program has delivered education and awareness sessions across rural and regional Australia, in conjunction with a team of medical specialists. PCFA would like to extend a big thank you to all the presenters and attendees who made the Roadshows throughout 2014 a great success.

(From left to right) Dr Michael Chong, Sally Sara, Dr Tony Michele, Katie Dundas (PCFA), Dr Joshua Sappiatzer, and Ian Richards (PCFA)

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HEALTH PROGRAMS & NURSING

Welcome to our new Goulburn Valley Health Prostate Cancer Specialist NurseWe would like to welcome the newly appointed Prostate Cancer Specialist Nurse (PCSN) for Goulburn Valley Health, Sonia Strachan. This position has been uniquely funded by Shepparton’s Biggest Ever Blokes Lunch, who recognised a need within the community and raised funds to secure the PCSN within Shepparton.

The timing couldn’t have been better, as Sonia was straight away able to come to Sydney for the Prostate Cancer Specialist Nurses annual training event in November. This enabled her to meet the other 26 Prostate Cancer Specialist Nurses, to start

building and strengthening her support network, gain valuable insight to the Prostate Cancer Specialist Program, the role of the PCSN and to “trouble shoot” in real time with nurses who have faced the same challenges in setting up a service from scratch.

Thank you to the Shepparton Biggest ever Blokes lunch for funding this much needed PCSN position; this is a fantastic example of community support and recognition of the work that the PCSN roles provide to men and their carers who have a diagnosis of prostate cancer.

Annual Training Event for the Prostate Cancer Specialist Nursing ServiceNovember 2014 saw the annual training event for the Prostate Cancer Specialist Nurses (PCSN) take place and was attended by all 27 nurses. The event took place over three days and was the first time all 27 nurses including the 14 new department of Health funded nurses got the opportunity to get together to formally meet and greet, exchange information and share advice about the challenges and rewards experienced by both groups of PCSN – “the old and the new”. The result was an inspiring three days of idea sharing, peer mentorship and good old fashioned team building.

The training took place at the Vibe Hotel Conference Centre at Milsons Point, Sydney and incorporated a program that was put together to ensure the specific needs of both groups could be met and included a crossover day, where the two groups shared skill sets and ideas. The training had a focus on business planning, sustainability and quality improvement. It also included a workshop aimed at

further developing these skill sets, which encouraged all of the nurses to really put into practice what they had just learnt.

At the end of each day the group got to unwind and start building and strengthening their support network with each other at a local restaurant. One of the objectives of the training was to encourage group cohesion and have the nurses identify as one group, as part of a specialty nursing service. These first steps were definitely taken with the nurses embracing the opportunity to

seek information from each other, share service improvement ideas and motivate each other to think of new projects and process improvement that could be used within their areas. Watch this space for some of the projects that were brainstormed to be developed and rolled out as national projects. We’ve got very exciting times ahead.

If you would like more information of the prostate Cancer Specialist Nursing Service please go to our website www.pcfa.org.au

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SUPPORT

Support in 2014

Our network of support groups continues to grow with 178 support groups now established across Australia. Since July 2011, 82 groups have been established and affiliated with PCFA. 21 of these are specific purpose groups. A national telephone support group for younger men has been established and will have its first meeting in February 2015. This is welcome news as there is ample evidence to suggest that younger men face a range of unique issues, when

diagnosed with prostate cancer. Younger men are generally in the formative years of their work life, in newly formed intimate relationships and in the midst of family formation. Diagnosis and treatment can be devastating for them as they grapple with the possible implications for their intimate relationships, family life and work in their current life stage.

PCFA has had five very successful Chapter-based training conferences in 2014 to build the capacity of our Support Group Leaders to facilitate their support groups. Feedback from the conferences suggests that, in addition to the enhancement of knowledge and skills, a key benefit of the conferences was the opportunity to come together, to network and to learn from peers on successful strategies for facilitating groups.

A big vote of thanks goes to our supporters, as together we work to reduce the impact of prostate cancer on the community.

The Koori Knockout PCFA attended the 44th Annual Aboriginal Rugby League Knockout event at Raymond Terrace, NSW, on Saturday 4 October 2014.

Known as the Koori Knockout, the event is regarded as the biggest sports gathering of Indigenous people in the world. Both men’s and women’s teams from regional and metropolitan NSW came together to compete in front of an estimated 20,000 spectators.

Continued over page

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The four day event is not only about sport, but also an opportunity to focus on the community. PCFA attended the event in partnership with the Awabakal Newcastle Aboriginal Health Co-operative, providing information on prostate cancer to members of the Indigenous Community.

Union for International Cancer Control World Cancer Congress (UICC WCC)PCFA was well represented at the recent UICC WCC held in December 2014 at the Melbourne Convention Centre. The congress provided us with an opportunity to sponsor a selection of members from our network to attend the congress, to listen to some very interesting presentations and to network with national and international delegates. PCFA sponsored ten delegates from the network to attend the congress and also supported a number of our members to attend the last day of the congress.

We partnered with Cancer Council Queensland and Breast Cancer Network Australia to host a one day workshop on peer support at the congress. This workshop was very well attended with delegates from Australia, Malaysia, Iran, South Africa, China and the United States among others. The focus on peer support provided the opportunity to explore the role of peer support within an integrated framework of supportive care for people dealing with cancer and to hear from others about programs of peer support being implemented internationally. The evidence for the effectiveness of peer support, as a complementary intervention to professional support was discussed.

The congress also provided an opportunity to present on some of the successes in the area of support. Two papers were presented at the congress: one on the development and delivery of group facilitator training for support group leaders and one on the establishment of gay/bi-sexual prostate cancer support groups.

SUPPORT

Support in 2014 (continued)

World Cancer Day 2015World Cancer Day 2015 is taking place on 4 February 2015 with the tagline ‘Not beyond us’.

It aims to take a positive and

proactive approach to the fight against cancer, highlighting that solutions do exist across the continuum of cancer, and that they are within our reach.

World Cancer Day is a unique opportunity for all of us to raise awareness that there is much that can be done at an individual, community and governmental level, to make positive change in reducing the

impact of cancer. By moving forward together we have the potential to show that cancer is not beyond us.

This year’s global campaign ‘Not beyond us’ will explore how we can implement what we already know in the areas of prevention, early detection, treatment and care, and in turn, open up to the exciting prospect that we can impact the global cancer burden – for the better.

The 2015 campaign is articulated around four key areas of focus:

• Choosing healthy lives

• Delivering early detection

• Achieving treatment for all

• Maximising quality of life

PCFA encourages everyone to acknowledge World Cancer Day on 4 February 2015. Your activity can be large or small. It is an opportunity to collectively show commitment to reducing the burden of cancer in our community.

For further information on World Cancer Day and the resources available, please visit www.worldcancerday.org/about-world-cancer-day-2015

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FUNDRAISING

The Long Ride 2014The Long Ride is now in its 8th year and we are very proud to be the continued beneficiary charity for this amazing event. This year the 400 riders each left their own states and met one another along the way to Uluru; the final stop for all the riders with a huge celebratory dinner under the stars!

The ride raised considerable awareness in rural areas which the riders travelled through stopping to inform the local community about the Long Ride and the importance of taking about prostate cancer with family and friends. James Tobin, television presenter and Weekend Sunrise weather man was the Long Ride ambassador and helped raise further awareness by hosting live crosses throughout the ride.

Special thanks to Chris and Gail Dunne who organise every single aspect of this event and have made it such a special and successful event for all those who get involved.

Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride 2014With the Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride set for 2014 PCFA was excited to, once again, be the beneficiary for all the funds raised from the Australian riders. The ride was a hugely successful event with over 241 international rides all taking place on 28 September 2014 culminating in more than 20,000 dapper dressed men and women taking part.

Internationally $1.6 million has been raised with $450,000 of those funds raised by our very own Australian Riders. Funds from this year’s event will be going towards our research programs.

The event has really taken off worldwide with motorcyclist enthusiastically joining the riders and opening their wallets for a good cause. Mark Hawwa, the event organiser, believes that there is no better way to get guys talking about their prostates than motorcycles: ‘It’s a great cause and considering it kills more men a year than breast cancer kills women, we thought we need to break the macho mentality and save lives.’

Those who raised over $100 were lucky enough to go into a draw to win a Triumph motorcycle, after submitting what being a dapper Gentleman means to them. Our very own chairman David Sandoe OAM choose the lucky winner; Greg from Texas, USA.

To check out more about the event and how to get involved in 2015 visit www.gentlemansride.com

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Volunteer of the year

PCFA is proud to announce that Chris McPherson has been awarded Fundraising Institute Australia 2015 Victorian Volunteer of the year award for his services to prostate cancer awareness. Chris pioneered the highly successful Biggest Ever Blokes Lunch fundraising events in Victoria. Since 2009 these events have raised in excess of $1.8 million and have been attended by over 14,000 people.

This award is fantastic recognition for all the hard work and dedication Chris has shown for the prostate cancer cause.

Save a Man Kilimanjaro Challenge 2014

FUNDRAISING

State manager John Strachan accepting the award on behalf of Chris McPherson

We are pleased to announce that our Save the Man Kilimanjaro Trekkers made it to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro, waving the PCFA flag. Together they raised a huge amount of awareness and funds in their local community. We are very proud of our trekkers and all they have achieved over the last six months.

Keep an eye on our 2015 challenge events, as there will be more opportunity’s to get involved in life changing treks while changing the lives of men and their families living with prostate cancer.

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PARTNERSHIPS

54 Hole Challenge Golf Day In partnership with Drummond Golf, one of PCFA’s Major Partners, we launched a new and exciting type of golf day: The 54 Hole Challenge. Teams had to take on the challenge of completing 54 holes of golf (three rounds) in one day. It was a hugely successful day, enjoyed by all teams with everyone completing the challenge and already looking forward to signing up to next year’s event.

Together the teams raised funds through their online fundraising pages, raffle and a very special live auction prize: a round of golf with Brett Ogle (Australian golf legend) and Brian Lara (one of the greatest cricketers of all-time) won by Cohort.

Both Brett Ogle and Brian Lara joined the teams on the day playing a few holes, giving tips and having photos with teams throughout the day.

Special thanks to Ravi Abeyaratne, Drummond Golf Marketing Director for organising the day and providing the amazing prizes.

Look out for this event in 2015 as its only going to get bigger and better.

For more information on Drummond Golf, please visit www.drummondgolf.com.au

Brian Lara Brett Ogle and Ravi Abeyaratne

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FUNDRAISINGAustralia’s BIGGEST fishing competition!

Proudly supporting Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia and Peter Duncan Neuroscience Research Unit of St Vincent’s Hospital.

pirtekfishingchallenge.com.auRegistration opening January 2015!

Huge Cash & Prizes to be won!

SUNDAY 22nd MARCH 2015RIGHT ACROSS AUSTRALIA