Murdoch caregivers support the wider community.
25 January
2012
St John of God Murdoch Hospital is joining
other caregivers from across St John of God Health Care to form a
team of close to 100 who have pledged to give up alcohol for a
month to raise awareness of alcohol issues and fundraise for
organisations helping young people through FebFast.
FebFast is a national charity event
that encourages people to take a pause from alcohol during the
shortest month of the year. ‘Sending the grog on holiday’ allows
people to reflect on their alcohol consumption and make their own
decisions about drinking. Sponsoring participants also allows
FebFast to fund numerous community organisations that
support young people experiencing problems with alcohol or other
drugs.
Having raised more than $20,000 for
FebFast in 2011, with 146 caregivers taking part, St John
of God Health Care hopes to be a leading participant in
FebFast 2012. With two weeks to go before the start of
February, 95 caregivers have already committed to the cause and the
organisation is planning events in various locations to raise
awareness of alcohol issues.
The Murdoch team will be led by Director of
Nursing Mr Adam Coleman who has pledged to ‘send grog on a
holiday’
“Excessive alcohol consumption is a serious
health risk with around 2.8 million people in Australia drinking
alcohol every day. People diagnosed with alcohol dependence are
more likely to suffer from mental health problems.” said Mr
Coleman.
“Taking part in FebFast will be a
great way to help raise the awareness of alcohol issues amongst our
caregivers and in the community (and help me to shift some excess
weight)”, he said.
In recognition of the health benefits
associated with reducing alcohol consumption,
St John of God Health Care has committed to pay registration fees
for caregivers taking part in FebFast.
More information on FebFast can be found
at http://www.febfast.org.au/
People in need of support with alcohol
issues can access more information at www.adf.org.au/help
Image: Murdoch Director of
Nursing, Mr Adam Coleman