Cakes, slices and other enticing foods were donated to Murrurundi Public School by parents and community members for the first ever Biggest Morning Tea on Thursday.

The school decided to host the event in order to be more involved with the local community. It proved to be a great success, raising more than $1000 for Cancer Council Australia.

A number of community groups attended the event, including members of the Lions Club, Rotary Club, Arts Council, Volunteer Rescue Association, and the museum.

Upper Hunter Shire mayor Wayne Bedggood, Cancer Council Australia’s community programs coordinator Glen Parsons, and representatives from the police force and ambulance were also among the crowd.

Mr Parsons was a special guest, delivering a speech on the importance of the Biggest Morning Tea.

“It’s the successful event that the Cancer Council has; it’s been going now for 23 years and is supported by people all over NSW,” he said.

“It is all about the community coming together for one particular cause, and that’s to defeat cancer.”

He said transport and treatment for cancer sufferers was particularly vital for Murrurundi, Parkes, and other areas within the Upper Hunter.

“We know that people are making decisions in this town – do I eat tonight or do I go for cancer treatment?” he said.

“It is quite expensive; you can appreciate that getting a transport provider to take you from Murrurundi to the Mater Hospital, which is a good two and a half hours, can be very costly.

“A person who is on the pension and has to go for treatment three times a week, you’re talking hundreds of dollars.

“So we like to use the money to put back into the community.”

Mr Parsons said Cancer Council Australia also had financial assistance available, which enabled the organisation to provide one-off interest free loans, and pay water and light bills.