Thank you to everyone involved in Melanoma March 2022

Dear Melanoma Community,

Thank you to everyone involved in Melanoma March 2022

It has been nearly 24 hours since the completion of our final Melanoma March for 2022, Coolangatta. I am so proud and humbled by the amazing support and many notes of appreciation we received for moving forward with holding physical marches, and returning as best we could, to the warmth and comfort we all feel when the community comes together face-to-face to meet and march. It is truly inspiring, and I know this drives our many clinicians, researchers and care providers at MIA to drive us towards zero deaths from melanoma.

Before I thank the many people responsible for making our marches happen, you will no doubt be pleased to know that we successfully completed 18 marches across every state and territory, all capital cities and many regional centres. Over 2,600 community members attended physical marches (despite incredible rain events), others got creative and held their own ‘March Your Way’ events, and a few thousand more donated despite not being able to participate in person. And, quite extraordinarily we have raised over $675,000 which allows us to get underway with the Personalised Immunotherapy Platform Clinical Trial (known as the PIP Trial).

To the tireless Melanoma March volunteer committee members – thank you.  Without our committees, a national Melanoma March campaign simply cannot happen. To all committee members listed at the end of this letter, we are indebted to your work and commitment and hope to see you back in 2023.

To Ron and Kathryn from Ricky, wonderful supporters of MIA and Melanoma March, who donated $70,000 and simply said this trial and the research that underpins it is world-class – thank you.

To our partner organisations Melanoma Patients Australia, Australian Melanoma Research Foundation (AMRF) and our own Amie St Clair, melanomaWA and Skin Cancer Tasmania – thank you. And, to our sunscreen partner, SunSense, who provided sunscreen and other giveaways.

To our incredible donors and march teams that raised the funds, and a special call-out to our leading donors and teams: Fiona Ward, Jennifer Benfield, Peter Dixon, Melissa Gibson, Josephine Gluhak, ‘Anissa’s Avengers’, ‘Marko’s March’, ‘Team Wilcox’, ‘The Baxters etc’ and ‘Jeff Butcher -Aiming for a Cure’ – thank you.

To MIA’s Ambassadors Peter Overton AM, Cate Campbell, Oceana Strachan and Brad McEwan, and the TV, radio and print media outlets across the country that helped us get the 5 sun-safe rules and ‘know the skin you’re in’ messages to the broader community – thank you for your ongoing support.

To MIA’s Melanoma March Campaign Manager Annabel Egan, Ben and Kylie Mildren, and my small team at MIA who worked tirelessly on planning, media and logistics – great effort, thank you.

Finally, may I extend one more thank you – this time to everyone involved in Melanoma March 2022 – on behalf of all the patients and families who we hope will benefit from the world-leading PIP Trial that you have helped establish and get us even closer to our goal of zero deaths from melanoma.

I am pleased to announce that Melanoma March will be back in 2023. Planning has already begun for events at our much-loved locations across the country, as well as many new ones. ‘March Your Way’ will also return. All our marches will strive to raise funds for research, increase awareness of this dreadful disease but most importantly, provide space for the community to come together to support and be supported as patients and their family and friends navigate their melanoma journey.

Thank you and warmest regards,

Matthew Browne

Chief Executive Officer