Sport Innovation/2011 Women In Super Mother's Day Classic/Background MDC

BACKGROUND MOTHER'S DAY CLASSIC

Women in Super
Women in Super (WIS) calls itself a non-for-profit association that provides national networking opportunities for women who are working in the superannuation and financial service industries. It also lobbies and works with others to improve women’s access to superannuation. WIS was established in Australia in 1993 and has grown since then to an organisation with over 1,000 members. It has a national association and a management committee in each participating state which represents each of the major sectors within the superannuation industry.

Mother's Day Classic Walk & Run
The Mother’s Day Classic walk/run for breast cancer research was established in 1998 by WIS. In 2011 37 different events were simultaneously organised. They have taken place all across the country with ten major events and 27 regional locations. The total funds were donated by the Mother’s Day Classic to the National Breast Cancer Foundation’s research programs exceed $10 million since our first event in 1998.”

The MDC's purpose is:
 * to raise money for breast cancer research,
 * to increase awareness of breast cancer within the community and
 * to support and remember those touched by breast cancer.

WIS has established this event are listed because:
 * Breast cancer is the one of the leading cancer related deaths in females.
 * One in 9 women will be diagnosed with the disease by the age of 85.
 * More than 2,800 women will die from the disease in a single year and more than 13,600 new cases expected year (new diagnoses are also expected in 106 men).

Project Manager
Since the beginning of the first Charity run, Louise Davidson has been the National Chair of the Women in Super Mother’s Day Classic. Until 2011 she had been supported by Mavis Robertson for the 17 years, National Chair and Spokesperson; who was then replaced by Cate Wood. Cate Wood herself has been involved in WIS for many years and is chair of the WIS Mother’s Day Classic organising Committee in Canberra.

Project Committees
The committees are in:
 * Adelaide,
 * Brisbane,
 * Canberra,
 * Hobart,
 * Melbourne,
 * Perth and
 * Sydney.

Each state committee organises regular networking events with guest speakers from across the industry.

Sponsors
Very important in the whole project management are the sponsors which support the MDC.

Major Sponsor: ME Bank ME Bank has been the major sponsor of the Mother’s Day Classic since 2005. On the day 97 volunteers and more than 170 participants from ME Bank supported the event, which raised more than $3 million for breast cancer research );

Gold Sponsors: Australian Institute of Superannuition Trustees, the athletes foot, Brooks, Ford, Slater & Gordon Lawyers, Triaction by Triumph, Channel 9 News

National silver sponsors: Care super, Catholic Super, Cbus, HESTA, HOSTPLUS, ISPT, Mercer, NGS super, Professionals,

Project Growth & Changes
From modest beginnings in 1998, the Mother’s Day Classic has grown significantly. Participation has increased from 3,300 people in the first year to 120,000 participants nationally in 2011. It was a vehicle that could encourage all people to be actively involved and ‘be in the front line’ of the fight. The 2011 Women in Super Mother’s Day Classic was awarded the Best Charity or Cause-Related Event at the prestigious third annual Australian Event Awards held in Sydney.

In the early ages the project concentrated on raising funds for the National Breast Cancer Research. In 2011 more goals were found.

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