On The Blog:
Our Director Eva Pavlakis Takes on The CEO Dare to Cure
This year, our Co-Founder Eva has participated in her fourth CEO Dare to Cure Challenge, facing her fears and taking on a 30-minute shark dive without a cage on Friday the 13th! In the past, she has bravely taken on bathing with snakes and gliding through the air on a sky-high trapeze.
The CEO Dare to Cure Challenge brings together leading CEOs and business leaders from across Australia to face a fear by taking on a dare, and at the same time, help cure childhood cancer. This challenge is run by the Children’s Cancer Institute, the only independent medical research institute in Australia wholly dedicated to curing childhood cancer. Cancer kills more children than any other disease, making this research critical. All money raised from the CEO Dare to Cure goes to research and scientific activities to help cure childhood cancer, fundraising activities to generate donations and increase funding, and core support services and infrastructure cost, vital to keep the institute running.
The Dare
This year, Eva challenged herself to a 30-minute shark dive without a cage in Sea Life Sydney Aquarium’s Shark Dive Xtreme Dare. She swam mere centimetres away from sharks in a thrilling challenge. on October the 27th, Eva went back for the main event, where she bravely completed her SECOND snake bath! This time, the snakes were very awake, moving all over.
Not only did she bravely take on these challenges, but she also surpassed her $7,000 fundraising goal for the Children’s Cancer Institute.
This vital fundraising will help the Children’s Cancer Institute’s Zero Childhood Cancer program, a national and world-leading precision medicine program for children with cancer. This program has already generated research data that has never been available before, sharing discoveries with scientists and clinicians internationally. Recently, the 1000th child was enrolled into this Zero Childhood Cancer program, making a substantial impact on these children and their families.
Any amount contributes to the vital research and assistance of the Children’s Cancer Institute:
- $60 covers cost of consumables to prepare & preserve a patient sample for future research.
- $120 covers the cost of DNA sequencing to identify leukaemia markers in one child.
- $250 will provide 3 months of antibody to detect abnormal proteins in a child.
- $1000 could cover the cost to provide a whole RNA sequencing which will detect changes in the structure, function, and expression of child’s genes.
- $5,000 will help us conduct minimal residual disease testing for two children with leukaemia so we can detect their risk of relapse.
Our Why
Every year in Australia over 1,000 children are diagnosed with cancer. For hundreds of these children, cancer will cut their life short, before they’ve even had a chance to make their mark. In fact, three children die of cancer every week in Australia.
At PNP, we believe that a life should be long and that every child should get the chance to grow up and grow old. To plan exciting futures, chase their dreams, and fulfil their potential.
It’s not too late to donate, with the fundraiser still open until the end of December.
Donate here to support the Children’s Cancer Institute’s vital research: https://www.ccia.org.au/fundraisers/evapavlakis/ceo-dare-to-cure
Any donation, small or large, is greatly appreciated.
It’s not if, it’s when.