Perfection Fresh (Aust)

Perfection Fresh supports McGrath Foundation with launch of new campaign

Fresh produce marketing company, Perfection Fresh, is partnering with the McGrath Foundation in a retail campaign designed to raise much-needed funds to help support the placement of McGrath Breast Care Nurses across Australia.

Perfection Fresh marketing manager, Lee Carnemolla, said Perfection Fresh's close ties with more than 100 fresh produce suppliers around Australia had inspired the company to lend support to the McGrath Foundation - which focused on supporting women and their families affected by breast cancer in rural and regional Australia. 

The Perfection Fresh-McGrath Foundation campaign runs until June 13 at Woolworths and independent retail outlets nationally. Five cents from the pack price of five specialty vegetable lines will boost efforts by going directly to the Foundation.

Vegetable lines included in the campaign are The Original™ grape tomatoes, baby red capsicums, Vine Sweet Minicaps® baby capsicums, Qukes® baby Lebanese cucumbers and Baby Brussels sprouts. All are available in either punnets or packs and will carry the McGrath Foundation sticker in Woolworths stores, and both the McGrath Foundation and Perfection Fresh stickers at independent outlets.

The McGrath Foundation was founded by Jane McGrath and her cricketer husband, Glenn, in 2002 following Jane's initial recovery from breast cancer. The McGrath Foundation raises funds to place specially trained McGrath Breast Care Nurses in rural and regional communities right across Australia, while, at the same time, working to increase breast awareness in younger women.

The Foundation works to identify which areas in rural and regional Australia will benefit most from the support of McGrath Breast Care Nurses. By June 30 this year, the Foundation aims to place McGrath Breast Care Nurses into 44 rural and regional communities across Australia thanks to a special grant supplied by the Federal Government. This will bring the total of McGrath Breast Care Nurses in Australia to 53.

Ms Carnemolla said Perfection Fresh, a family-owned and operated company, had seen first-hand the effects breast cancer had on women, their families and communities.

"Perfection Fresh shares the McGrath Foundation's core values of supporting rural and regional Australia - areas which supply most of Perfection Fresh's fresh produce lines - and encouraging healthy eating habits and health awareness," Ms Carnemolla said.

"When Australians buy any of these products during the campaign period, they will be directly benefiting the McGrath Foundation and women with breast cancer who urgently need support. Our campaign aims to raise as much money as possible for the McGrath Foundation to help fund McGrath Breast Care Nurses.

According to the McGrath Foundation, one in nine Australian women is diagnosed with breast cancer before the age of 85.¹ 

McGrath Foundation managing director, Kylea Tink, said the Perfection Fresh partnership was the first time the Foundation had benefited from the sales of fresh produce.

"The featured products are innovative and fun and the message to eat healthy while supporting the Foundation is positive. In this consumer-driven society, buying decisions can be extremely beneficial to charities like the Foundation if people know their purchase is doing some good in the community," Ms Tink said.

"This type of campaign requires no effort on the part of the consumer yet has a significant impact on the community as a whole. With the McGrath Foundation, people know that the money raised goes back into providing real and tangible services either in their own community or in that of someone they love."

Perfection Fresh suppliers, Tacca Plastics (punnets), Wedderburn Labels (labels), Visy (packaging) and CPE Rural (labour provider) are supporting the campaign.

Perfection Fresh's wholesale market stands in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne will launch the campaign to retailers on May 8.

¹ AIHW (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare) and AACR (Australasian Association of Cancer Registries) 2008. Cancer in Australia: an overview, 2008. Cancer series no. 46. Cat. No. CAN42. Canberra: AIHW.