Silver lining for ovarian cancer

NATIONAL: Womenswear retailer Witchery has raised a record $332,692 for research into ovarian cancer in Australia. Collected between August 2007 and June 2008 as part of the 'Every Cloud' campaign - as well through silver ribbons sold in store - the funds will be donated to the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation (OCRF).

A Witchery spokesperson said the sum was a significant increase from the $250,000 anticipated from the campaign, which centred on a silver diary featuring photographs of 11 high-profile Australian women.

These included singer Deni Hines; actresses Sibylla Budd and Asher Keddie; television personalities Catriona Rowntree and Jodi Gordon; Australian Ballet dancer Lucinda Dunn, Taasha Coates from The Audreys; businesswomen Bex Gold (founder of Cinderella cleaning products) and Bianca Monley (founder of Eat Fit Food); former Olympic swimmer turned television presenter Giaan Rooney and model Lindy Klim.

Describing OCRF as "very near and dear to our customers' hearts", Witchery CEO Iain Nairn said while the company had supported the OCRF for the past seven years, this was its most significant contribution ever made in less than one year.

The funds would go towards developing and implementing an early detection test that could become as readily available to women as a pap smear or breast check. Currently most women diagnosed with ovarian cancer were already in the advanced stages of the disease, with one Australian woman dying every 10 hours from ovarian cancer.