Hanh Clark simply couldn’t wait until later in the year to host her Longest Table! Together, with the support of her friends and family, the passionate host gathered her loved ones in February and hosted a Longest Table to remember.
Hanh’s event was a roaring success, raising over $1,500 in the fight to #ForkCancer through The Hospital Research Foundation Group.
Hanh told us about her inspiration for the event, the challenges she faced along the way and the heartwarming moments that made all her incredible efforts worthwhile.
Can you tell us a little about yourself and your connection to cancer fundraising?
My name is Hanh, I work full time and in my spare time absolutely love netball – watching or playing! I have a blended family of eight and everyone in our family is very connected with the community – from playing sport, the arts or supporting local community clubs. Very much like most people, my connection to cancer is through knowing someone who has had or been impacted by cancer. I wanted to support the people around me who are currently fighting or have fought cancer.
What were your goals for your Longest Table, and do you feel like you achieved them?
I wanted to support The Hospital Research Foundation Group in raising awareness for cancer research and support the work of cancer research and hopefully a cure. My Goal was to raise as much money as possible – each donation goes a long way and can make a huge difference. It was a successful event and as a collective we raised over $1500!
How did you go about organising your Longest Table, and did you face any challenges?
With considerable help from my family, friends and local businesses! My family worked around the clock to help make the event a success. The Longest Table dinner included a 3-course meal. My husband and his four friends were in charge of the food, and my son and his friend ran the bar. With such a big group, it was about planning how much to cater for – each day, the number would grow and thus catering and seating arrangements needed to change! In the end, we got it about right and everyone appeared to have a great time.
We also had raffles, fun dinner games and prizes. My daughter designed a template with The Longest Table logo for the dinner games, name place cards and drinks menu.
What was on the menu at your Longest Table, and what was your favourite dish?
Our 3-course meal had a broad Asian Cuisine theme – starting with my mum’s famous Vietnamese spring rolls, followed by homemade lentil soup, three different curries and finishing off with a slice of cake! Although everyone enjoyed the food, and some did say they were too full to move after the curries – I think my mum’s spring rolls were the favourites on the night!
What kind of support did you receive from the community for your Longest Table, and how did that support help make it a success?
My son’s girlfriend, Chelsea, was really my “marketing” person. She reached out to some of the local small businesses, they then reached out to their connections, and we were lucky to have their support and many donated items from their business towards the raffles. I also reached out to some of the local wineries who were also very generous with their support and donated some of their wine. The raffles and wine donation assisted in raising more funds for the event.
Are there any lessons you learned from hosting your Longest Table, or things you would differently?
I was overwhelmed by the support and generosity from the local businesses – most did not hesitate and responded very quickly to my emails. Be open-minded – not everyone feels the same way about fundraising. I am always looking for different ways to make the next event better.
What advice would you give to someone who is interested in hosting a Longest Table?
Do it! Support the people you love and the broader community. It can be a great event and will support this important cause. With everyone’s support/donation, together we can help make an impact on finding a cure for cancer.
It is never too early or late to fundraise for a great cause! Start small, plan well, make it enjoyable and make it achievable!
What does raising awareness and funds for cancer research mean to you personally?
As a member of the community, I feel it is important to contribute to the community and support such causes as cancer, which in one way or another touches everyone.
Join Hanh by hosting your own Longest Table and help make an impact in the fight against cancer.
Together, let’s #ForkCancer!
