As the Crestani Foundation prepares for its annual award presentation, the charity has already awarded more than 70 scholarships and research grants since its inception in 2007.
The cancer charity has been consistently raising funds to provide scholarships for higher education, by running events such as the recent successful Victoria Black-sponsored fashion parade at Kincumber.
These events have direct and impactful benefits to the Central Coast community, evidenced by the medical expertise now available in vital areas of radiation therapy.
Recently the Foundation announced a grant for research at the Central Coast Research Institute into pancreatic cancer, one of the most fatal forms of cancer.
The Foundation has already been funding research undertaken by the Institute into breast, prostate and liver cancers.
Organisation founder Yvonne Crestani said the addition of the research grants broadens the effort beyond just advancing cancer treatment.
Donations made by individuals and businesses to the foundation are the main source of the funds for the charity awards.
As the charity is staffed by volunteers, moneys raised go directly to the grants.
The 2024 awards will be held on November 8 at the University of Newcastle (UON) Clinical School in Gosford, where many of the student scholarship recipients learn and grow in state-of-the-art facilities.
This year, 11 students have been selected to receive scholarships and awards from the Crestani Foundation.
The areas of expertise which they are studying include palliative care nursing, oncology nursing, cancer care and other related medical research fields.
Looking to 2025, the Crestani Scholarships Foundation’s annual summer spectacular fundraiser will be held once again in February, at the Edogawa Commemorative Japanese Garden in East Gosford.
For more information and to donate, visit crestanischolarships.org.au or follow them on Facebook.