Canberra grandmother Andrea Hookway is hosting her first Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea this year, in honour of her good friend Lee who passed away last year after her battle with bowel and liver cancer.

Andrea had often thought about hosting a Biggest Morning Tea event to raise funds for the Cancer Council, and after sitting one day feeling the loss of her friend, decided that this year she would.

The last weekend in May was a special time for Andrea and Lee, who shared birthdays just two days apart – this year they would have been 75 together.

“It would have been her birthday that weekend,” Andrea says, mentioning that Lee’s daughters and grandchildren will also be attending her Biggest Morning Tea event.

“It is very important to not only get your regular scans, but also see your doctor when you feel like you may need a check-up in between,” Andrea said of Lee’s insistence to her doctor for a colonoscopy between her scheduled check-ups.

This year, Andrea plans to host several Biggest Morning Tea sittings across the week leading up to and the weekend of this shared special day.

“It has inspired me to sort out my lounge room,” says Andrea as she is set to host groups of six to eight at the end of May in different sittings for her different groups of friends including family, and friends from school and work.

“It means that there will be more chance to talk to everyone,” she says of the sittings-style event. “I’ll cater for them and have asked that all they bring is their donations.

“When you think of all the people you know who have had cancer, you do think about how lucky you are, and how this is a way to give back.”

Andrea starts to count on her hand, mentioning her mother, aunt, uncle and cousin amongst those she has lost to cancer, with another four friends having gone through breast cancer, too.

Visit biggestmorningtea.com.au for more information. While the official day is Thursday 19 May, you can host an event anytime in May or June.

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