Get in your finest regal wears and raise awareness for prostate cancer at the Royal Blue Do!

In its fourth year of supporting the Prostate Cancer Foundation NZ, Steampunk Tauranga will host yet another Blue Do this month to raise money for a good cause.

And, as a nod to this year’s Coronation of King Charles III, the theme for this year’s event on Saturday, September 16, is a Royal Blue Do.

Steampunk Tauranga member Lindsey Morgan aka ‘Lady Hannah Dashary Buckle’ says the group is not a charity but just a group of friends looking to raise money and awareness.

“We have friends who are currently prostate cancer sufferers…we put [Blue Dos] on because we’ve got survivors, and we’ve also got people who are affected by it like their dads who have had prostate cancer.”

Stigma silliness

As a dress up event, Lindsey says they’re expecting gowns, gloves, tiara and crowns, military, dignitaries, medals, to flood the venue with blue-filled fun.

“The silliness of the Blue Dos is more about ‘look it’s silly not to get the check!’ There’s still the stigma attached to testing for prostate cancer but the initial testing is blood…and if that comes back with some anomaly, then yes further investigations would need to take place.”

Lindsey says too many dads, uncles, brothers, husbands and grandads are lost to prostate cancer. “I’ve lost my dad and my father-in-law had prostate cancer too. Chances are my husband may or my children may get it because running in the family is also an indicator, and I just want to get the message out there that it’s not this taboo thing.

“If found early enough you can receive treatment that will enable you to overcome the cancer so you can be a cancer survivor …we don’t want our men suffering.”

Chances increasing

Lindsey says prostate cancer becomes a number game as men get older. “The older you get, the more likely you are of getting prostate cancer. It really is a percentage thing so at 50 years old you have a 50-50 chance, at 60 years old a 60 per cent chance at 70, a 70 per cent chance...”

The Royal Blue Do evening on September 16 will be brought to life by rock covers band Shabang, and the Tauranga Photographic Society will be on-site capturing the fun, and a photo-booth from Black Chilli Design will be there too. “I just want to get the message out there that it’s not this taboo thing, so that’s what it [the Royal Blue Do] promotes – and sticking on a top hat and being a bit silly!”

The Royal Blue Do starts 7pm at Tauranga Yacht & Powerboat Club, Sulphur Point, on Saturday, September 16. Tickets are $40. To book, email: Leone-slurps@kinect.co.nz