The Mount Gambier Breast Cancer Awareness Group has received its own ‘helping hand’ with a $5000 donation from local business InfraBuild Steel Centre, which will come on as the charity’s major sponsor for its 10th annual ‘Pink Party’ in October.

The contribution was part of an ongoing initiative in which the Australia-wide company gave back to the more than 150 local communities in which their branches are located.

The donation was presented to the awareness group at a morning tea at The Commodore with additional surprise donations received on the day by InfraBuild customers Krueger Engineering and DMK Engineering.

InfraBuild Steel Centre customer service officer Corinne Bryan said when her employer asked staff to come up with ideas on who to donate to, there was no hesitation in choosing the charity.

“The (Mount Gambier) Breast Cancer Awareness Group helped me out eight years ago, I actually had breast cancer and these ladies with their Helping Hand Bag it just took a lot of pressure off,” she said.

“I was just blown away by the generosity of people I did not even know in the community.

“It meant the world to me.

“We all put ideas in and when mine was picked out of our group I was so happy.

“To give back to the community is great and it is good it has come from the company.

“This will put the word out a little bit as well, it will catch on and hopefully the ladies will get a lot more donations and a lot more people will be aware of them.

“I just want to get it out to the South East what these ladies do and the more companies that can get behind it, the better.”

Mount Gambier Breast Cancer Awareness Group member Jill Gilmore said the donations will cut the costs of their major fundraiser, meaning they can make more profit all of which will go towards their Helping Hand Bags project.

“We have quite a few overheads we have to cover which takes away our profits,” she said.

“We have got permission for them to be our major sponsor so that will cut our costs virtually to nothing and as our profit that goes straight into our pink bags.

“It is just making our night even more successful because of their donation.

“There is not necessarily a theme as such this year but certainly 10 years is a big deal.

“We are thinking something a bit glittery and glamorous.”

The Mount Gambier Breast Cancer Awareness Group is a registered charity, so donations are tax deductible.

Anyone wanting to donate can message the Mount Gambier Breast Cancer Awareness Group on Facebook or call 0409 152 529.