Each year Musica Arioso in Parkes raises money for charity at its end of year recital.
Usually director and teacher Gail Smith likes to donate those funds to Father Chris Reilly's Youth Off The Streets program with the notion of "children helping children" her motivation.
But in 2024 she wanted to make it a little more personal.
"Each year we like to donate whatever money we raise from our concert," said Gail, who's been teaching music for 30 years and founded Musica Arioso nine years ago this year.
"I like to donate to Father Chris Reilly's Youth Off The Streets, helping to get children off the streets... I've been doing that for four or five years.
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"But with my diagnosis I wanted to support the McGrath Foundation Breast Care Nurse and Can Assist.
"They run on funds the community raise."
Gail was diagnosed with breast cancer in February last year and she is immensely grateful to her friends who insisted she go for a mammogram.
"I just flippantly said 'I can't remember the last time I went for a breast screen' and they said I needed to go and book in," Gail said.
"And later on they called to see if I had made an appointment.
"I hate to think where I'd be if I hadn't."
The mammogram revealed Gail had a 15cm mass in her left breast.
She had a double mastectomy where 14 lymph nodes were removed and all 14 were cancerous.
"It blows your mind and I had no idea," Gail said.
She said she had started to notice changes in her body but had put them down to menopause and being rundown.
"It turns out those symptoms are early symptoms of cancer," she said.
"For women who have bigger breasts and thicker breast tissue, it hides, you don't know it's there."
Musica Arioso held 60 performances over three concerts in music and drama on November 17 for family and friends of its students.
A total of $3400 was raised from ticket prices, as well as raffles that featured 12 prizes generously donated by local businesses.
The money was split in two with $1700 going to Parkes McGrath Foundation Breast Care Nurse Di Green and the other half going to Parkes Can Assist.
Gail was very pleased with the outcome.
"Di Green's wage is subsidised between the McGrath Foundation and NSW Health but that's it," she said.
"What I didn't know is anything else she needs [to do her job] she has to raise herself."
And as many may know, Parkes Can Assist is run by volunteers and whatever funds are raised or donated to them is given back to supporting and financing local cancer patients through one of the hardest times in their lives.
"There are lots of other charities that rely on fundraising that people are unaware of - like there's wigs for cancer patients done through Janice Cassidy, and Michelle Mikita at Mikita Barbershop shaves and styles your hair at no charge to you," Gail said.
"So there are those quiet achievers in our town, then there's groups like Georgie's Pantry who can help you with groceries.
"Because of having no immune system [with treatment] I couldn't work in childcare, so I lost income."
Gail also raised additional funds for Di Green and Can Assist early on in her journey with the full support of the Parkes Musical and Dramatic Society.
Before her operation last March Gail shaved her head in front of the entire cast of Annie during one of its rehearsals.
She raised $2000 and donated half each to Di Green and Can Assist.
"My hair was something I could have control over," Gail said.
