Team puts charity in pink

Richard and Narelle Naulls’ team for Ray White Karratha were the eighth-highest fundraisers in the country for this year’s Mother’s Day Classic, raising $16,143 for the National Breast Cancer Foundation.

Through the support of local businesses, the staff at Ray White and the Karratha community, Mr and Mrs Naulls have now raised more than $55,000 for the Mother’s Day Classic since they started six years ago.

Mrs Naulls said she never would have expected their cause to gain such huge momentum.

“We are so proud of our amazing staff and also the whole community of Karratha for helping get behind not only what we’re doing to fundraise, but also the whole Mother’s Day Classic event,” she said.

The pair were motivated to raise money after Ms Naulls and her mother were diagnosed with breast cancer.

“We’ve got different types of cancer but there’s a strain in both that is genetic,” she said.

“I’ve got a sister, I’ve got a niece and we have a daughter, so everything that we’re doing is for all of them so they don’t have to go through what (we went through).”

Mrs Naulls spent six months flying to and from Perth for treatment and was clear of cancer five years after her diagnosis. She said having to travel frequently for treatment added extra challenges to an already difficult time.

“Narelle, when she was travelling weekly, would come back Tuesday extremely tired and not feeling great and it would be Thursday or Friday before she felt normal to get ready to fly again,” Mr Naulls said. “She couldn’t be a mum, she couldn’t come to work.”

Over the past decade, 153 towns have hosted 482 regional events.

MDC chief executive Sharon Morris said the events have raised over $30 million for the National Breast Cancer Foundation.

“Our regional events have played an enormous role in helping us reach that amazing figure,” she said.

“Women in regional areas face many different challenges to those who live in our major cities. Some of the research projects funded by MDC over the last 20 years have dealt specifically with these issues.”

Donations are still open at mothersdayclassic.com.au.