The Waikato/Bay of Plenty Cancer Society is asking people to dig deep to help Kiwis facing cancer when they donate on Daffodil Day, Friday 30 August.

As the Cancer Society's biggest annual appeal, Daffodil Day donations are vital to providing a wide range of supportive care services for people with cancer and their loved ones all around the region.

'Every day the Cancer Society helps New Zealanders through the emotional, physical and practical challenges a cancer diagnosis brings,” says Shelley Campbell, chief executive of the Waikato/Bay of Plenty Cancer Society.

In the last year alone, Cancer Society supportive care nurses in Waikato/Bay of Plenty reached out to people needing support or assistance on 8795 occasions.

The Cancer Society's Lions Lodge in Hamilton provided 10,521 nights' accommodation to guests who needed to travel long distances to receive treatment at Waikato Hospital and volunteer drivers travelled 119,245km to help people to and from treatment.

'Our services are open to anyone facing any type of cancer. And we are available every step of the way – from answering that first question, to offering really practical tools and assistance.

'Providing meaningful support and resources comes at a cost though, and we want to show people who may not have engaged with us personally just how far their generous donations can go.”

Shelley says that is why the Cancer Society's supportive care services are at the heart of this year's Daffodil Day campaign, which is also fronted by some of the very staff and volunteers that provide these essential local services.

'We are featuring just a few of the people who work and volunteer all around New Zealand – and whose efforts are bolstered by the more than 1400 volunteers who will be out collecting in our region on Daffodil Day.”

She says donations can also help build a better future for the increasing numbers of New Zealanders predicted to be diagnosed with cancer in the coming years.

'Cancer is the number one cause of death in New Zealand, and the number of people diagnosed with cancer is predicted to increase by 50 percent in the next 15 years.

'With one in three of us affected by cancer, Daffodil Day is an important day for New Zealanders to come together.

"For some of us it is a day of remembrance, for others a day of hope. But most importantly, it is an opportunity for us all to contribute to making things better for people facing cancer in our community – now and in the future.”

ANZ has been a major sponsor of the Cancer Society since 1990 and the principal sponsor of Daffodil Day.

Since then ANZ staff have organised bake sales, quiz nights, and raffles and together have fundraised almost $20million to support Daffodil Day.

This year Kiwis can purchase an ANZ Smart Daffodil from any ANZ branch and donate using a special QR code.

Donations can be made at www.daffodilday.org.nz, at any ANZ branch during August or during the street appeal on Friday 30 August.