Neil Evans’ friends, family, and a growing network of Neil Evans Melanoma Foundation supporters joined together recently to contribute to the Foundation’s most ambitious fundraising effort yet, the Walk Neil Home challenge.
Walk Neil Home was created to raise vital funds to bring Neil’s vision to life via the Neil Evans Melanoma Foundation’s Patient Fund.
The Neil Evans Melanoma Foundation was formed when Evans passed away, aged just 48, in June 2021, after a 4-year battle with melanoma. His wish was to continue to live out his legacy by directly assisting others with melanoma through financial support.
Neil’s final wish was to “to give people with melanoma every chance to beat their cancer, without financial barriers.”
Starting on 26 January 2022 (Australia Day) a global team of participants and well-wishers embarked on the challenge to walk 75,000kms from Australia to Gorleston, UK, the place of Neil’s birth and where his mum and dad still live today. Along the way, participants visited many of the places Neil visited on his much-loved travels, visiting and collecting some of his great friends and family, too.
“It was incredibly inspiring when Neil said he wanted to raise money to give patients who cannot afford it – access to expensive novel drug treatments – so that they too can have a chance,” said Sonia Nazaretian, Founder of Neil Evans Melanoma Foundation.
“Our ambitious goal was to raise $100,000 for the Foundation and its recently established Patient Fund, which was formed in partnership with the Melanoma Institute Australia (MIA). That we raised over $20,000 towards this goal is a huge achievement.”
The Patient Fund provides financial support so melanoma patients can access life-saving treatments and drugs not available on the PBS or via clinical trials, as well as help with services such as travel, accommodation, and psychological support.
“We see melanoma patients every day who are financially struggling,” says MIA Co-Medical Director, Georgina Long AO. “This fund could help alleviate financial stress faced by patients, and thus potentially open up new treatment options to them as well as enable access to additional supports and services”.