General News
2 May, 2025
Business owner to continue orange fundraiser donations
A CAMPERDOWN business owner is planning to continue fundraising to mark Kidney Cancer Awareness Month after raising $5500 for Colac Area Health’s Frank Minchinton Centre.
Camperdown Bakery owner Andrea Mutch was diagnosed with renal cell carcinoma seven years ago, with the carcinoma being identified as inoperable in July-August 2023.
Ms Mutch said she goes to the Frank Minchinton Centre every three weeks for immunotherapy, and the staff at the centre do a “brilliant job”.
“A lot of people in Camperdown, Cobden and Terang go to Colac Area Health’s Frank Minchinton Centre – it’s not just for immunotherapy, it can be for iron infusions, chemotherapy, blood transfusions – anything,” she said.
“When I finally got the nerve to say ‘yes, this is what I have’, I decided to fundraise in March for Kidney Cancer Awareness Month.
“I thought about donating to the Frank Minchinton Centre – I went and spoke to them and made sure all the money raised for them would go to them
“That’s how it all started – we all dressed up in orange, the whole shop was decked out in orange, and we had money tins all over the shop.
“There were fairly big donations from a few customers.”
Ms Mutch said she was thrilled with the support provided by the community, with many customers donating $200-$300 to honour family and friends who have gone through the cancer journey.
The final tally was also boosted by Ms Mutch donating a percentage of her daily takings to the cause, adding to the donations dropped into orange tins around the bakery.
The fundraising effort also saw a new coffee machine donated to the Frank Minchinton Centre thanks to a discussion with Camperdown’s Betta Electrical.
“I went and spoke to Betta Electrical – their (Frank Minchinton Centre’s) coffee machine broke down and they said some of the proceeds would go towards a new coffee machine – and, with the help of them, we donated a big coffee machine for them,” Ms Mutch said.
“Patients now can have the privilege of sitting down and having a coffee and be looked after – some patients are there for eight or nine hours.
“If the girls want to buy some pillows for the patients or blankets for the winter, that’s what they’ve got it for.
“I thought it was fantastic – for a little country town, the amount of support we’ve had is just amazing.
“I’m a business person, but at the same time I just wanted to help everyone else. It’s not just for me – there are people worse off than me.”
Ms Mutch said she is planning on fundraising every March through orange-coloured dress-up and decorations due to the success of the campaign.
She is also considering putting out an orange tin year-round after customers asked where the orange tin was to make a donation.
Ms Mutch expressed her gratitude to everyone who donated throughout March.
“An ultra-big thank you to everyone who came in and supported us and laughed at our funny get-ups because we were all wearing orange wigs,” she said.
“Their generosity was just amazing.
“Since it is out there that I have what I’ve got, the amount of get well wishes and everything for me has been amazing.”
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