As the footy season kicks off for another year so does our very popular “Purple Socks” campaign. We are reaching out to all sporting codes around Australia to buy our “Avner 2018” purple branded socks to wear on the weekend of June 23 and 24.

The Avner Foundation made a lot of new friends this year, including many new people affected by Pancreatic Cancer and researchers who are working tirelessly to find a cure for the disease. It was particularly rewarding to end the year by bringing together one of our new-found supporters and friend, Dean Gorddard, with one of our new research collaborators.

We are delighted to advise that on December 19, 2017 the Turnbull Government announced further support for cancer research with $8 million in grants.

For the first time since the Avner Foundation started awarding the Innovation and Accelerator Grants, past and present recipients representing 18 projects from different institutions and universities across Australia gathered in Sydney on World Pancreatic Cancer Day to share updates on their progress.

As the Sydney Opera House glowed purple on the eve of World Pancreatic Cancer Day, we revealed the six recipients of our 2017 grants program who will collectively receive $2M for Pancreatic Cancer research.

As we set up for our 8th annual Melbourne walk, hot air balloons drifted across the city skyline and rowers skimmed across the Yarra. The sun shone all morning and we had perfect conditions for our wonderful Melbourne walkers who turned up in all their purple glory to collectively raise funds and awareness for Pancreatic Cancer.

Thank you Hobart City Council for shining a purple light every night on The Mall, Kennedy Lane, Railway Fountain and Franklin Square Fountain in the week leading up to this year’s “Put Your Foot Down” walk to help raise awareness of Pancreatic Cancer and supporting our 7th annual Hobart walk.

We’re off and “walking” for 2018! The good people of Perth joined us on March 25 for our first “Put Your Foot Down” walk for the year. Despite the windy conditions it was wonderful to see so many old and new faces from the Perth community who banded together for their 5th annual walk for Pancreatic Cancer and helped raise over $23,000!

There has been a team of men working hard all year to make a significant difference and to honor their best friend, Peter Grima.