By Annette Shailer
The inaugural Women in Tourism and Hospitality lunch hosted by the AHA NSW on Monday (May 11) raised $40,000 for the National Breast Cancer Foundation (NBCF).
More than 330 hospitality and tourism identities filled The Ivy Room in Sydney to enjoy the lunch, with MC and NBCF spokesperson, Channel Nine’s Today Show host Lisa Wilkinson, proving to be a great addition to the day.
Special guests included AHA NSW president Scott Leach, AHA NSW senior vice-president Lyn Humphreys, CEO Blue Mountains tourism Kerry Fryer, NSW Minister for Tourism Jodi McKay MP, NSW Opposition Leader Barry O’Farrell MP, Virginia Judge MP, George Souris and Katrina Hodgkinson MP.
AHA NSW chief officer Sally Fielke said the event was about celebrating and appreciating the contributions women have made to the hospitality and tourism industry, and about supporting women as they move through the ranks.
“This event was also about launching the AHA NSW’s charitable foundation, which is further evidence of the support that NSW hotels and the industry overall gives to countless charities and organizations,” she said.
“We are proud that the first-ever recipient is the National Breast Cancer Foundation and the valuable work and research it does for people whose lives are affected by cancer.”
The $40,000 was raised through a live and silent auction plus individual donations on the day.
Despite breast cancer deaths decreasing 22 per cent over the past decade – mainly due to early detection – the incidence of breast cancer is increasing, with one in nine women to be diagnosed with the disease by age 85.