The very first Dry July raised $250,000 – how? You’ve heard the joke ‘Three men walk into a bar…’. Well, that’s how the first it started!
In July 2008, three mates, Brett, Kenny and Phil, wanted to take a break from alcohol, so decided to abstain for the month of July, coining it their ‘Dry July’. They also wanted to raise money for a cause very close to their hearts, so they asked friends and family to sponsor them.
Hoping to raise $3,000 to buy a TV for their local hospital’s waiting room, the campaign was a huge success and Dry July was well and truly born!
In 2022 Dry July is a fundraiser that encourages the community to go alcohol-free in July to raise funds for people affected by cancer, providing invaluable services for cancer patients, their families and carers – whether it’s a lift to a life-saving appointment, guidance from a specialist nurse, connection to an informative voice, access to therapy programs or a bed close to treatment.
Having a month off alcohol also has great health benefits, such as sleeping better, having more energy and of course, no hangovers! So you’re not only helping others, you’re helping yourself. It’s a win-win!
Our House
Since 2010, the team at Our House Lismore have been going dry for July and directors Dr Chris Ingall and Rebekka Battista will be rallying the community to join them in raising funds for cancer.
To help kick the campaign off, Dry July has reached out to Our House and donated $10,000.
After seeing the March floods, the Dry July team, who have been supporting Lismore for a long time, donated funds to assist cancer patients whose houses had been damaged by floods to stay at Our House during treatment.
Rebekka Battista says we all know this year has been difficult. ‘We are keen to uphold the Dry July tradition and help local cancer patients.
‘I am a Lone Ranger in the Our House team at the moment; it would be great to have some love, support, and some people joining me.
Dry July has played an essential role in funding the Our House facility. It all started in 2010 when ABC North Coast highlighted the Our House project to the Dry July team from Sydney. They were enthusiastically supportive, and Our House became one of the beneficiaries.
Our House is a Guaranteed Beneficiary of Dry July. Twelve years on, and the connection between Dry July and Our House remains strong. Over the years, Dry July funds have replaced bathroom floors, replaced sofa beds and TVs in the 20 rooms.
You can join or support the Our House Team here.
Since the first Dry July in 2008, the Dry July campaign has seen more than 290,000 participants who have collectively raised over $73m helping to support more than 80 cancer support organisations across Australia and New Zealand.
For more information visit: www.dryjuly.com.
* If you feel you need help with alcohol addiction, visit: Alcoholics Anonymous: aa.org.au. or Lifeline: lifeline.org.au.
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