Trundle’s Testicle Festival was the brainchild of customer service officers at Trundle’s AGnVET, Sharon MacDonald and Paula Wright, when one of their close co-workers, Doug, was diagnosed with prostate cancer in February 2018.

“We asked if we could do anything? And although he said that he was fine, we de­cided to create a fundraiser to help raise awareness. The girls in our town host a very successful pink night to raise funds for women’s cancers, so we decided to do a blue night for the fellas, and with awareness as our moto, we started the Trundle Testicle Festival to give Prostate Cancer the finger,” said Sharon.

It’s not a well known fact, but more men die of prostate cancer than women die of breast cancer, so raising awareness hope­fully is key to getting men diagnosed early.

“Our town is quite proactive in getting be­hind a worthwhile cause. As soon as you ask for something, people get back to you and say, ‘How can I help?’. Everyone gets involved. The footy team choreographed a Full Monty for us one year, and it was on the night before the grand final.

“The blue night was popular, but with COVID, we decided to do something else, and Paula, one of the organisers, said we should play cricket on Boxing Day! “We named it the Trundle Testicle Festival to get men talking about their health and en­courage people to get their PSA checked,” said Sharon.

“We host a BBQ, everyone enjoys a beer, and it’s just a lovely way to get together and raise awareness for a really important cause,” she added.

Sharon said it was eye-opening to find out how many people were impacted by pros­tate cancer in the region. “People don’t like to talk about prostate cancer, unfortunately.

We sadly lost Doug in 2022 at the age of 67.”

“His son was also diagnosed with pros­tate cancer, and he wasn’t even 40. He’s had treatment, and he’s good now, but it just goes to show how much prostate cancer im­pacts our lives.”

“Over the years, we’ve raised thousands of dollars for PFCA. It’s an important organi­sation for men and their families who need support,” Sharon concluded.

To get involved, contact the Trundle Testi­cle Festival’s Facebook Page or email trun­dletesticlefestival@gmail.com

Have you got the balls to help?

We are seeking donations of items suitable to raffle and auction for our fundraiser. We would love donations of any blue items, bloke items, boy items, any items. Dona­tions of any type are welcome, goods, ser­vices, time, or talent.

In Australia, prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in men, and more than 3,700 men dying of prostate can­cer in Australia every year. To quote Doug: it doesn’t matter how “groovy cool gas far out solid and right on chickie babe” you might be, please get checked. Know your PSA. It’s no poke!

Just a few of the awesome teams who played in the 2024 Testy Festy Boxing Day match