33rd Annual Field Day AgGrow-Emerald

In late June, PanKind Ambassadors Ian and Judi Mundell attended the 33rd Annual Field Day AgGrow-Emerald (Central Queensland) to continue their important work of raising awareness of pancreatic cancer in rural areas of Australia.

Ian, a survivor of pancreatic cancer, said “AgGrow is a rural field day that promotes the agriculture industry, as well as supply to the rural industry and livestock. Once I got involved with PanKind I wanted to work hard to help improve the survival rate in outback areas. The best way to spread awareness is going to the shows like AgGrow to try and talk to people.”

With their Classic HQ Holden aptly named ‘Avner’, and their three-year-old toy poodle Penny, the Mundell’s were able to generate a significant amount of interest at their stall, allowing many people to approach them, sharing their own story of how pancreatic cancer has impacted them personally.

“We get a lot of joy out of going out and trying to help educate them so they can help anyone else who is diagnosed. We can let them know that there is help out there,” said Ian. “At Emerald (AgGrow) we met a chap who lost his wife three years ago. He sat quietly for a few minutes before he finally opened up and began to share his story. I think it helped him out being able to just sit and chat things through.”

The Mundell’s were extremely thankful to have been helped out at their PanKind stall by Greg and Lynelle from Country Co-Blackwater, who donated space at their personal site for them to attend. Lynelle also created the ‘Living Art’ donation that was raffled off to raise funds for PanKind. Greg and Lynelle have been personally impacted by pancreatic cancer with the loss of a loved one, so were keen to contribute in any way they could.

“I’ve lived my whole life in the rural areas. I was on the land myself many years ago, so I feel that in our situation being told you have pancreatic cancer can feel a bit like being hit by a train. But I’ve found that through the shows, the friends we have, and my story I can help make a difference.”

However, it hasn’t always been easy to gain traction at the shows and the other events Ian and Judi attend. “People see the PanKind banner, the words pancreatic cancer, and then they tend to avoid us because of the word cancer. That’s why we started to bring Avner and Penny to get people talking and interested, break down their barriers a little more. Once you get them to stop and talk about the car or the dog, we can talk about the purpose, my story, and the story of a lot of people.”

Overall, the trip was a huge success, with many new connections made and perfect weather. A great day for PanKind and the Mundell’s up in Rockhampton.