Andrew Young: Cancer Society Auckland-Northland division CEO on Daffodil Day

The Cancer Society is the biggest private funder of cancer research in New Zealand. 

So far on Daffodil Day, more than $60,000 has been raised to help combat cancer. 

CEO of Auckland-Northland Cancer Society division Andrew Young says he lost his mother to cancer in 2007, which motivated him to join the Cancer Society and lead its Auckland-Northland division.  

Text 3493 to make an instant $3 donation to the Cancer Society.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:09):
You're listening to a podcast from News Talks B. Follow
this and our wide range of podcasts now on iHeartRadio
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Speaker 2 (00:17):
SO today is Daffit All Day and News Talks AB
along with A and Z supporting the one and three key.
A key he is affected by cancer. So text right
now and please support donate to three four nine three.
That makes an instant three dollar donation to the Cancer Society.
And as we speak we've just been handed away note here.
So far sixty one, five hundred and seventy eight dollars

(00:39):
has been raised. That is so good.

Speaker 3 (00:41):
Good work out there, So keep three four nine three
text donate to three four nine three for an instant
three dollar donation.

Speaker 2 (00:46):
Yep. So we are joined right now by Andrew Young.
He's the CEO of the Cancer Society's Auckland Northland division
and he joins us in the studio. Okaday, Andrew, Nice
to see you.

Speaker 4 (00:54):
Good afternoon, guys. Good to be here.

Speaker 3 (00:56):
Andrew. How did you get involved with the Cancer Society?
What brought you to that.

Speaker 4 (01:00):
I've had a life in corporate and charity and I
lost my mum to cancer in two thousand and seven,
so it felt like the stars were aligned when those
flash Headhunters rang me and said, hey, the Cancer Society
is looking for a new CEO, and I thought, I'm
going to do this for mum.

Speaker 3 (01:19):
Good on you.

Speaker 2 (01:19):
Yeah, and what support out there or is there out
there at the moment, Andrew, for people going through cancer
or cancer within their own family.

Speaker 4 (01:28):
Yeah, well that's what we're all about. So the CAN
Society is there to really provide that wrap around service
or free services, and that's what we've been doing for
almost one hundred years, is helping kiwis through often what
is the toughest battle of their lives.

Speaker 3 (01:43):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (01:43):
Really proud of our bigger array of services.

Speaker 2 (01:46):
As you should be.

Speaker 3 (01:47):
So how will someone's nation be spent? How is it
used to help cancer sufferers?

Speaker 4 (01:51):
Are lots of really important ways. So the CAN Society's
the biggest private funder of cancer research in New Zealand.
So we're determined we're out there to try and find
that cure or better pathways or better drugs to prolong
life or even to minimize cancer. So we're out there
that research day in and day out.

Speaker 3 (02:10):
Now I should probably know this, but it just struck
me because I've been part of deafitil days for many
years now and been involved. But where does the daffodil
come from? And it's what's the symbolism there?

Speaker 4 (02:19):
We actually bludged that idea from overseas, like any good
idea seldom unique. So over thirty five years ago, one
of our board members was traveling overseas through Europe and
saw that kaner societies over there were using the beautiful,
bright yellow daffodil as a symbol of hope, like a
ray of sunshine, and thought, oh, what the hell, it's

(02:42):
quite a good idea, and came back and said, we
don't we borrow that ideas?

Speaker 3 (02:47):
That's a very cool stylized daffodil single. You're wearing shirt there, skiddy,
What would you call that jump T shirt?

Speaker 1 (02:56):
Oh?

Speaker 3 (02:56):
It's a T shirt, I see because it's got a
long black sleeve underneath it. Right, it looks cool.

Speaker 2 (03:00):
Is that the design for this year?

Speaker 1 (03:02):
Is it?

Speaker 4 (03:03):
Mister vintage used to do a whole collection and this
was about four years ago, but I'm into vintage T shirts. Yeah,
you just keep rolling them out.

Speaker 3 (03:11):
Absolutely accuse you of wearing a single.

Speaker 4 (03:16):
We're quite rural, so whatever.

Speaker 2 (03:19):
Yeah. Now let's talk about the partnership with A and Z.
Those guys have supported you for for quite a few
years now, haven't they.

Speaker 4 (03:25):
Well over thirty years, and it's a partnership that runs
deep and means a huge amount. So A and Z
get behind us. All of their staff are made up of,
you know, thousands of really amazing people and many have
gone through the cancer journey as well. So they mobilize
themselves into workplaces and they do bake sales, and they

(03:45):
do a huge amount of internal fundraising and they're just
an incredible you heartner.

Speaker 3 (03:52):
The one and three number is quite a scary number.
Is that going up or leveling or going down? Where
are we in terms of cancer rates in this country?

Speaker 4 (04:02):
Yeah, so very scary. Just to explain that one in
three Kiwis will be diagnosed with cancer in their life time. Unfortunately,
the global forecasting is that that'll become one and two
diagnosed with cancer within twenty years.

Speaker 2 (04:18):
Wow, very scary. Andrew, thank you very much for coming
in and having a chat with us, and all the
very best for Deafit all day. You do amazing work
and there's some cool stuff going on downstairs and within
the company and around New Zealand as well. So really
appreciate it and we'll catch up again.

Speaker 4 (04:32):
So yeah, thanks guys.

Speaker 2 (04:33):
That is Andrew Young, CEO of the Cancer Society's Auckland
Northland Division. And remember you can do it right now
and please do text donate to three four nine to three.
That makes an instant three dollars donation to the Cancer Society,
and please give generously.

Speaker 3 (04:49):
I'm doing it right now.

Speaker 2 (04:50):
Yeah good man, You've done it a few times and
you'll continue to do it throughout the afternoon. It goes
to a great cause. Andrew, good to see it again, mate,
We'll catch up again.

Speaker 1 (04:57):
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