My AFM for Tony

This month, I'm doing Dry July. It's a fund-raising initiative in support of adults living with cancer.

The idea is that you pledge to abstain from alcohol for a month - this month - and ask people to sponsor you. Their donations go towards providing or improving facilities at hospitals that treat cancer patients.

My nominated beneficiary is the Chris O'Brien Lifehouse at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, in Sydney.

So have an alcohol free month (AFM), give your liver a rest, raise some money and feel really good, right?

Not so quickly. Why has Dr July caught on with so many people (more than 17,000 registered this year so far)? Why am I doing it for a second time? Why have so many media outlets supported it? Read on, and it might resonate.

Well it turns out that everyone has been touched by cancer. It's generationally agnostic. Often, people indicate that there is someone in particular for whom they are doing an AFM, someone who has cancer, has recovered from cancer or who has died from cancer.

In my case, I am doing DJ 2013 in memory of my very good friend, Tony Prince. After being diagnosed with GI cancer just after Christmas 2012, Tony died in May, surrounded by his family and having received very good support and management, and eventually palliative care at home and finally in hospital.

The facilities and support for people with cancer make a huge difference, and Tony acknowledged the incredible kindness and dedication of those with whom he came into contact over the last few months of his life.

Tony and his whole family are very special to me and my family. That's all I need to say. So while I grieve with the Prince family, I give thanks to God for the 25 years or so years that we have been friends. He and the whole family are part of my life story, have shared many of my highs and some of my lows.

This is not intended to be a eulogy to Tony, but he is definitely a very good illustration of why so many people have decided to make July an AFM. In a small way, and in a way that might make things a bit better for the patients, their families and friends and the dedicated people who work in hospital cancer clinics, it makes a big difference. So for a month I give up the evening wine or three, and the occasional beer or two. It feels pretty good, and in honour of Tony, my mum and all the people in our lives who we have lost to cancer, it makes a positive difference to thousands of cancer patients.

If you reckon you would like to do it yourself - for your own personal reasons - then go to Dry July and  check it out. While there, you can sponsor someone, or a team. Donations are tax deductible. Be surprised by the responses.

If you want to sponsor me, and send a message or even buy me a "golden ticket" then thanks. For me, with a painfully clear head and a range of alternative non alcohol beverages  I will celebrate the life of my friend Tony. I reckon he'd have had a good laugh about me having an AFM! Then again he'd probably have sponsored me, too.

Cheers Tony!