Paul Fink | 25 May 2010
Over 90 golfers turned out on a mild autumn day last week at the Cranbourne Golf Course to participate in the inaugural Friends-R-4 John Brustman Memorial Golf Day.
The Day was run by a dedicated committee of volunteers from Friends-R-4, a charity project being undertaken by the Rotary Club of Williamstown headed by Dr. Ronnie Goldberg OAM, whose aims are to raise money for cancer research projects and equipment for places such as the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and the Royal Melbourne Hospital.
The committee, all of whom were friends of John's, worked tirelessly for over 12 months to ensure the success of the Day which raised an incredible $60,000 - largely due to financial support and sponsorship from corporate, small businesses and individuals in what was an overwhelming response to the occasion.
"The Golf Day was an amazingly smooth, well organised and successful event," Goldberg said.
"The committee - led Mourice Rostkier and including David Goldberg, Philip Burman, Sam Nash and Stephen Nash – should be commended for their fine efforts, and the Cranbourne Golf Club was also extremely cooperative in every aspect."
Helen Brustman OAM, the late John Brustman's wife, was in attendance and presented the cheque to Peter Mac's Professor Grant McArthur, who was John's oncologist and who will use these funds towards clinical trials using Genomics to tailor medication for specific forms of melanoma - the skin cancer which took John as one of its many victims only last year.
Goldberg explained the significance of the Golf Day in providing people with an understanding of how Friends-R-4's push to make a difference in the lives of cancer sufferers is really starting to have an impact.
"I'd like to thank all the players who came out to play in support of this great cause, and for getting behind Friends-R-4's projects and initiatives" Goldberg continued.
"We've already witnessed a wonderful breakthrough in another of our Peter Mac projects involving Associate Professor Ricky Johnstone, and we are nearing the completion of a huge refurbishment of the Ronald McDonald House in Parkville.
"We're also very proud that with blessing of Jeanne Pratt and the Pratt Family, we will shortly be launching the Richard Pratt Fellowships in Prostate Cancer.”
The Richard Pratt Fellowships will be represented by an amount of $100,000 being awarded annually in perpetuity to fund a research fellowship involving translational research into prostate cancer, as well as an awareness campaign to help early detection.
Click here to view a photo gallery from the 2010 Friends-R-4 John Brustman Memorial Golf Day.