Croissants for a good cause, anyone? Eat to beat Australia’s national cancer

Posted on 21 February, 2025

In Australia, one person is diagnosed with melanoma every 30 minutes. In bakeries, one croissant is inhaled every 30 seconds*.

And while a flaky pastry and Australia’s national cancer don’t have anything in common, an annual fundraiser event in Canberra is challenging locals to put their money where their mouth is and eat some sweet treats for a good cause.

Sounds like hard work, right?

On Sunday 2 March, the Canberra Melanoma March will be taking steps (literally) around Black Mountain Peninsula to support life-saving research into melanoma. And while the walk is all about fundraising for melanoma research, it’s the bake sale you really want to know about.

Why? Because Three Mills Bakery and Smart Cookies Canberra have donated a total of over 50 pastries and cupcakes to the cause – and all the money raised from each sale will go straight to the Melanoma Institute of Australia to help save the lives of those impacted by the cancer.

“It’s an important cause on so many levels,” says Three Mills Bakery Marketing and Brand Manager Belinda Armstrong.

“For the bigger picture with 1300 Australians dying each and every year, we need to work together to fund research. And on a personal level, we have people within our business affected by the reach of the disease.”

“We have chosen to support the Melanoma March as melanoma so deeply affects the Australian community. The event is well organised and it’s such a great way to bring together the community for a cause and raise much-needed funds.”

Coordinated by a small group of volunteers who have close connections to melanoma patients – or who are melanoma patients themselves – along with the all-important (and yummy) bake sale, this year there will also be merchandise available, dog treats, coffee, bacon and egg rolls for breakfast, and amazing raffle prizes including a 10 class pack from NRG Pilates, a $100 Bunnings voucher, red and white wine and a hand made gift pack from The Sacred.

Participants are required to register online before arriving at the event – and at $40 per adult, $20 for children aged five to 17, and free entry for children under the age of five, putting some money aside to beat Australia’s national cancer is a no-brainer.

Just make sure to slip, slop, and slap before you hit the track – and you might want to be snappy about it to make sure you can get your hands on a Three Mills pastry, because you know they’re not going to last the day.

And after a morning spent walking for a good cause, you know you’ll want one. Besides, when the money goes straight to charity, cake doesn’t count, right?

For more information or to donate, visit canberra.melanomamarch.org.au

*this might be slightly exaggerated, but it feels right doesn’t it?