Snowball 2024

On Thursday 10 October, we held Snowball 2024.  This year we invited guests to the “Snowball Cucina” to enjoy a delicious family dinner created by celebrated Chef Guy Grossi and the team from Cookes Food & Events.

The event raised an incredible $670,000!  Our best result to date.

Snowball raises funds to positively impact the lives of blood cancer patients in Australia, helping them to live longer, better lives.  The funds raised in 2024 will be directed to provide access to two, unsubsidised, life-saving drugs; Romidepsin for T cell and Polatuzumab (Pola) for B cell lymphoma.

These drugs are currently not subsidised by the Australian Government and can cost patients more than $20,000. The money raised at Snowball will go directly to patients in need, saving lives through access to these ‘saviour’ drugs and providing an evidence-based case to get them subsidised by the Australian government.

Speaking at the event, Snowdome Chief Executive Kirstee Macbeth showcased the Foundation’s significant impact since inception and the need to continue to activate and advocate to enable a paradigm shift in blood cancer treatment in Australia.

Lymphoma patient advocate Tahli Batkilin moved us all as she spoke about her journey with stage 4, aggressive B-cell lymphoma and her subsequent remission following CAR T-cell therapy Yescarta.  Tahli was the first patient in Australia to receive this treatment.

However, as Prof Miles Prince AM, Snowdome Co-Founder and Director highlighted, others are not so fortunate.  As a clinician, Miles sees first-hand that without these drugs, patients are dying.

Snowball could not happen without the very generous support from our Event Partners: Town Square, Dann Event Hire and AV Dynamics and the support of our Event Sponsors: Balter Brewing Company, Cono Gelateria, Décor It Studio, DUSC Studio, Forty Spotted Gin, Gilbert Family Wines, Green Event, Hartshorn Distillery, IFAS Group, Mad For You Creative, Pino’s Fresh Produce, Point Leo Estate, Sanpellegrino, Scotchmans Hill Estate, Slide Productions, Vranken-Pommery, Wojo Signs and Wynns.

Our most sincere thanks to our dedicated Snowball Organising Committee who so capably bring the event together. Pennie Callaghan (Chair), Helen Gandel, Kirstee Macbeth, Lauren Frazer, Georgia Larkins, Elian de la Rosa Gomez, Vanessa Cohen and Georgie Stayches.

We are so grateful for the generosity of our donors, event partners and sponsors who understand the urgent need for accelerating blood cancer therapies.