It’s a week earlier than normal this year, but organisers are gearing up for a mega Witney in Pink Day on Saturday, September 24.
As always, the town will be decked out in hundreds of pink biodegradable balloons for this popular community day, now in its 22nd year, which raises funds for the vital research of the Abingdon-based charity Against Breast Cancer (ABC).
Funds will help to improve detection, treatment and increase survival from breast cancer. In total over the years, the tireless ABC Witney fundraising team has raised more than £250,000.
“Pink Day brings the community together in a very special way, it’s simply wonderful,” said Jeanne Chattoe, from Witney, chair of the team.
“It is a magical, feelgood event – the support every year is tremendous and unwavering. And it’s raised awareness too, helping an awful lot of people to talk about breast cancer and reach out for help and support.”
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The organisers are lining up a fun-filled day from 10am-4pm in the town centre. Witney MP Robert Courts will perform the official opening at 10am and town mayor Liz Duncan will be there too.
There will be a grand tombola and cake stall, a street collection, and a packed programme of street entertainment including WOAPA choir, Witney Rock Choir, Witney Town Band, Horns of Plenty street band, Bugz ukuleles, singer Sarah Jane Grey, and more.
And, once again, a cavalcade of pink cars will parade through the town at approximately 11.30pm and then park up on Church Green for viewing.
The use of SumUp card reader machines will mean that supporters don’t have to solely donate cash on the day. Six of the machines have been sponsored and donated by Carterton company OQEMA Ltd.
Its marketing manager Alex Simpson said: “We are celebrating one hundred years of OQEMA this year with the theme ‘grow’ and we’re happy to be helping Against Breast Cancer grow donations by using these reader machines.”
Packs of pink balloons have been distributed to Witney shops and businesses to decorate their windows and some of them are holding their own fundraising events.
Pink cocktails and cakes are being lined up at the Chequers Brasserie in Corn Street and the staff will be dressed in pink.
The Town Crier, Jean Postlethwaite-Dixon, who is also a member of ABC Witney, has gathered a whole bunch of fantastic prizes for the tombola, donated by the town’s business people.
An eyecatching Pink Day display has been created by members of Witney Day Centre for the elderly, who meet each Thursday at Ceewood Hall. It has been mounted on display boards near Thorney Leys traffic lights by Linda and Graeme Young, the centre founders and managers.
The couple regularly change the display, which started at the beginning of lockdown in 2020 when Mrs Young made more than 1,500 masks for the adjoining ‘mask tree’, with proceeds going to the day centre – which launched in 2018.
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“Our members have enjoyed knitting pink strips, making ribbon bows and painting flowers for the display,” said Mrs Young.
“We get a lot of nice comments about our displays from passers-by plus tooting of car horns and thumbs-up!”
More street collectors are still needed (call 07495 146776 if you can spare an hour or so) and donations for the tombola and cake stalls – these can be dropped off at The Shake Shop in High Street the day before Pink Day, Friday September 23, or call/email Mrs Chattoe on 01993 772449, jchattoe@hotmail.com
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