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It's that time of the year when Dry July starts popping up in newsfeeds everywhere. Dry July is a fundraiser that encourages you to go alcohol-free in July to raise funds for people affected by cancer. It's a great way to help people deal with serious illness, while also taking care of your own health. The first Dry July was started by 3 mates who decided to take a break from drinking. All they wanted was enough money to buy a TV for their local hospital waiting room, but they ended up raising over $250,00!
The Dry July Foundation donates to a bunch of charities and institutions to improve the lives of people affected by cancer, such as the Leukaemia foundation and the Cancer Council. Although the first Dry July aimed to raise money for a waiting room TV, these days Dry July aims a little bigger, supporting countless projects and grants around the country.
Just one project completed this year was the installation of a new sky ceiling at the Alfred hospital for patients undergoing radiation therapy. Being restrained for up to 40 minutes can be highly distressing, so having a relaxing ceiling views gives patients a welcome diversion from their situation. it sure beats white hospital ceiling.
Last year a rooftop garden for the haematology and bone marrow transplant ward of Royal Melbourne Hospital was completed with the help of Dry July fundraising. In a ward where even flowers are banned because of their risk to weakened immune systems, the garden is made of entirely artificial plants. It replaces an empty, drab concrete space, which used to be the only view patients would have from their rooms.
Going dry for a month might not make a big difference in the long term, but you might feel some great benefits in the short term. For one, better sleep quality leading to improved wakefulness and concentration. Cutting out all the emphy calories from alcohol helps you lose weight and get your cholesterol down too. Not to mention that the average Australian will save $1,664 a year by cutting out alcohol. Dry July is a great way to dip in your toes and see what cutting out alcohol can do for you.
You can sign up at https://www.dryjuly.com/about. Make the commitment to go alcohol free in July, and ask friends and family to sponsor you by donating on your page. Each donation will go towards improving the lives of those affected by cancer.
