Ros Jamieson is participating in Frocktober.
ONE of Ros Jamieson’s favourite parables is about a man who sees a boy on a beach throwing starfish back into the ocean.
The man tells the boy it is a waste of time because there are too many for him to make a difference, but the boy replies that he made a difference for that one starfish.
Ros, from Wauchope, wanted to make a difference to her local community as well, so several years ago she started participating in Frocktober.
To raise funds, Ros donates a portion of her October sales of Fairtrade goods, which are made overseas by artisans who earn a living wage and work in safe conditions.
Ros feels a personal connection to the cause.
Her long-time friend Lucy survived ovarian cancer but later faced a recurrence.
“While Lucy is still with us, she has undergone so much to survive this cancer over the last 20 years,” Ros said.
“Inspired by her, I donate a percentage of sales every October as well as collecting donations.
“Thanks to the generosity of all the people who frock up, I am on target to reach over $500 in donations this year.”
Frocktober began in 2007 and has now become a month-long annual fundraiser for the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation.
Participants wear a frock and raise funds for research into a cancer that takes the lives of more than one thousand people each year.
Ovarian cancer has the highest mortality rate of all gynaecological cancers.
Frocktober runs until 31 October with events all over the country.
By Rachael THORPE