Love in Action
By Zoe Waters, Executive Director Barwon Health Foundation
In our community, cancer touches more lives than we often realise, in hospital rooms and cancer centres, but also around kitchen tables, school pick-ups and quiet conversations between friends. It shows up in the strength of those going through treatment, and in the people standing beside them.
As we approach World Health Day tomorrow, it’s a timely reminder that better health outcomes don’t happen in isolation, they are also built through community, compassion, and science.
At the Barwon Health Foundation we continue to be inspired by the way our community unites to support one another.
This year marks the third time we have collaborated with local Geelong fashion brand, Ceres Life. Together, we are raising funds to support cancer care and treatment provided by Barwon Health.
This partnership has become a symbol of how much we can achieve when we unite for a common cause. For Ceres Life, a brand built on community values, creating meaningful change is woven into their very fabric. When we first launched this collaborative t-shirt
collection in 2024, we never imagined the outpouring of support we would receive. The tees sold out in three weeks, raising an impressive $20,000 for Barwon Health’s cancer
services. The following year, the range expanded, and so did the impact, with $50,000 raised. This year, we are aiming to hit a new milestone, and raise $60,000, to support cancer services delivered by Barwon Health.
The theme of this year’s collection is “Love Notes,” and is all about sending messages of hope, support, and solidarity to all those affected by cancer and the amazing teams who care for them. We are grateful for the courage and openness of our 2026 Love Tee ambassadors, whose stories not only raise awareness but also offer a powerful reminder of the love and strength that can emerge in the face of cancer.
Joanna McRae returns this year with a deep personal connection, honouring her sister, Bek Bainbridge, who passed away from brain cancer earlier this year. Joanna’s commitment to continuing their shared cause is an inspiring tribute to her beautiful sister’s memory.
Nicole Riddle, another patient of the Andrew Love Cancer Centre, has been an inspirational part of this campaign since its beginning, supported by her close friend Renee Garing. And we are humbled by new Ambassadors Julie Hope and Naomi Weir, both of whom are bravely navigating their own cancer journeys.
Together with Ceres Life, these amazing women are leaving a legacy that goes far beyond fundraising. Last year’s campaign contributed to a $1.65 million pledge, enabling the opportunity to provide a new quality and health services research program and support additional collaborative breast cancer trials.
As we reflect on World Health Day and its theme of “Together for Health. Stand with
Science,” it’s clear that progress in cancer care is built on research.
Thanks to the support of every person who has a Love Tee hanging in their wardrobe, we are improving cancer care right here, close to home.
Tomorrow marks the launch of the highly anticipated third release of the Ceres Life X Barwon Health Foundation Love Tee and Cap collection, available exclusively at
cereslife.com. Believe me when I say they will sell out.
And why wouldn’t they, when every purchase is a note of love.
