Shortland Street signs up for Dry July!
When you watch tonight's episode of Shortland Street, keep an
eye out for special mention of a new cause that some of the people
of Ferndale are about to participate in.
Bella's rounding up participants for Dry July, an opportunity to
give up drinking alcohol for month in order to raise money for
adults living with cancer, but also in order promote healthy
living.
Not only will several of the characters from Shortland Street be
participating in Dry July, but in real life, actress Teuila Blakely
(Vasa Levi) will also be abstaining for the whole month in order to
show her support for the cause.
"I am really looking forward to supporting Dry July. It's for a
fantastic cause and one that is very close to my heart as I have a
first cousin who is suffering from terminal cancer. Based on her
experience, I have seen what the oncology department does for
people suffering from cancer and I want to be able to help in any
way possible to raise awareness and money for them."
"From the drinking side of things, I am also very much looking
forward to participating in Dry July. In New Zealand, we seem to
have a strong drinking culture and I find, particularly in my
industry, that I can end up drinking several times-a-week without
really realising it! Going without is a great way to give me a
health a boost and to remind myself that I don't need to drink
alcohol to have fun and that it's ok to go without."
Gerald Urquhart who plays Luke Durville has also signed up for the cause.
"I decided to do Dry July as a challenge to myself," he says. "I have always done a few weeks at a time but a month was a good challenge and it's a great cause to raise money for."
If you'd like to sponshor Gerald's efforts, visit
his
Dry July page here
.
Dry July is a non-profit organisation determined to improve the
lives of adults living with cancer through an online social
community giving up booze for the month of July.
Whether joining as a part of a team or as an individual, DJ's
(Dry.July.er [dee-jay] noun: a person or team actively sponsored to
participate in Dry July) take on the 31 days of July to raise funds
and directly help adults living with cancer and their families to
improve their quality of life.
Dry July is also a chance to raise awareness of individual drinking
habits, the value of a balanced healthy lifestyle, a personal
challenge, encourage positive change and an awareness of a healthy
attitude to alcohol consumption.
To learn more about Dry July, or to donate to the cause, head to
www.dryjuly.co.nz
Celebrating 20 years of drama on Shortland Street
