Shopping centres are not only an integral part of the community but a platform to create awareness. This week we take a look at Botany Town Centre’s activation in New Zealand, who partnered with The Gut Cancer Foundation to raise awareness about gut cancers. This campaign will not only educate, but will save lives too.

The Gut Cancer Foundation is a dedicated charity working tirelessly to spread the word about gut cancers. Gut cancers are the most common and deadliest form of cancers in New Zealand, with half of those affected dying within five years of diagnosis. The #NationalCrunchDay campaign took place throughout May, with a giant flash mob held on Thursday 31 May at Botany Town Centre. The aim was to collect donations to help on-going fund research for diagnosis and treatment and to improve survival rates.

For this secret flash mob, Ruth Davy, executive offer at the Gut Cancer Foundation led a group of people who broke out into ‘gut crunches’ at the shopping centre during lunchtime. There were impressive groups on-board, including Counties Manukau Police,  Dannemora Gardens Retirement Village, Starjam and Botany Town Centre Retailers.

The facts:

• Statistics show that gut cancers (stomach, liver, bowel, pancreas, oesophagus) are the most common and deadly form of cancer in New Zealand; with 5,250 people diagnosed a year, and 50% of those dying from the disease within five years.
• The death rate is higher than that of breast and prostate cancers combined, yet gut cancer awareness and funding is under-resourced in comparison.
• The rate of bowel cancer for people under 50 years is increasing by 14% per annum in New Zealand. The extraordinary increase is due to poor diet (processed foods) and lack of exercise.

The Gut Cancer Foundation hopes that a spike in public awareness of this all-too-common group of cancers will improve survival rates for gut cancers, and raise funds for clinical research that is vital for advancements in diagnosis and treatment that can improve outcomes and quality of life.