Ipswich girls in the pink at SCG
ONE of the most famous days in Australian cricket had a distinctly Ipswich flavour over the weekend.
With the entire Australian cricket team and the Sydney Cricket Ground turning pink for the Jane McGrath Day two Ipswich women became the faces of the event.
Suzanne Allen, from North Booval, said it had been a wonderful day.
"It was great, such an amazing experience," she said.
"We were on the field at the end of the day being interviewed by the commentators and they were all so nice. Michael Slater was really lovely, and Richie (Benaud) was so nice."
Ms Allen and her Ipswich McGrath Foundation breast care nurse, Karen Miles, were the stars of the day with interviews across a number of television channels and featuring in the lunch break of the Test match.
Ms Miles said she and Ms Allen were interviewed by Brett Lee and Michael Slater, shook the hands of the entire Test team and met Channel Nine's commentary team.
But while Ms Miles said she and Ms Allen had met a number of cricketing legends one of the most excited people they met was injured Australian vice-captain and Ipswich-raised Shane Watson.
"Shane was so excited to meet us. He's a Foundation Friend, but he didn't realise there was a breast care nurse in Ipswich," she said.
"We were talking about him coming and doing some stuff with us the next time he comes back to Ipswich."
"We were talking about him coming and doing some stuff with us the next time he comes back to Ipswich."
Ms Miles is one of only eight breast care nurses funded by the money raised at the Pink Test every year.
Ms Allen said Ms Miles had given her a huge amount of support since her diagnosis.
"I always say my breast cancer nurse looks after me and my family while the doctors look after my cancer."
McGRATH FOUNDATION
The McGrath Foundation was formed in 2002 by Jane McGrath and Glenn McGrath to fund more breast care nurses in rural and regional Australia, and increase breast cancer awareness in young women.
The Pink Day at the SCG every year sees the players and crowd take on the McGrath Foundation's pink theme. It has been run since 2009.
