Liz connects the community for cancer

AUSTRALIA’S Biggest Morning Tea is turning 30 this year and Liz Duthie, Inverloch local, will be hosting her 15th annual event for the fundraiser. 
1 in 2 Australians are diagnosed with cancer before the age of 85 and Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea is a community event help raise vital funds for the cancer council, with a view to having a cancer free future. 

Liz has found that people eat more at lunchtime rather than in the morning, so she will be holding a lunchtime event and has the family on board to help out. 

 “My husband will make probably three different soups, one of them will be Scotch Broth because we’re both Scottish, and usually I like pumpkin and carrot because it’s very sweet and its one of my favourites, and then there’ll be some other soup”.

“My daughter in law…loves to make sausage rolls so however many are coming she’ll make the equivalent for one and a half sausage rolls each”. 

Liz starts preparing for the event weeks in advance and approaches local businesses for contributions or donations of goods and services. 

The community is always happy to step in help out according to Liz and most of the food, including bread and bread rolls, slices and sweets come from small businesses, and raffle items like hotel vouchers also come from locals.  

The owner of Treat Time in Inverloch, Janine, said she likes to donate to the event because she has personally experienced the pain that cancer can cause families. 

“Like many, cancer has touched our family and if the money raised can goes towards treatment and to eventually finding a cure, then we would all be better off.”

After years of experience Liz has found that full tummies equal more funds raised.  

“People love food and I think when they’re satisfied with the food, they’re happy to spend a little bit more money.” 

Liz is going to try to top what was raised last year and has some fun activities in mind; she also plans to keep the Biggest Morning Tea theme alive by including her specially sourced and unique teapots as part of the hampers. 

“I’ll usually get one of the guests to guess which cup the key is in, and its twenty guesses, so that’s $100, because its $5 a guess. So, there’s a few things like that.”

“I’ll make up a couple of hampers and I’ll get the highest bid on that, and I’ve always got a teapot…because it is about the Biggest Morning Tea, so I’ve always found an unusual teapot to put in the hamper, and I guess probably I’ll get $50 - $70 for each of those hampers, because there’s always somebody who wants the teapot, so they go a little bit higher if they really want to get it.” 

Liz is very passionate about raising funds for cancer and it’s her way of giving back to a cause that is close to her heart. All money raised will be donated to Melbourne and cancer research. 

The Biggest Morning Tea will be hosted by Liz on Saturday, May 27, from 12pm – 3pm at 15 Hobson Place, Inverloch. 
Entry is free.