Back

This Daffodil Day marks 40 years of growing hope

Cancer Council ACT

Key Facts:

• Cancer Council ACT is celebrating the 40th anniversary of Daffodil Day on 20 August, marking four decades of fundraising for cancer research since the campaign launched in 1986.
• Five-year cancer survival rates have risen from approximately 46 per cent in 1986 to 72 per cent today, with Cancer Council Australia investing more than $47.3 million in research in recent years and supporting over 650 researchers annually.
• This year, Cancer Council ACT awarded $200,000 in grants to two local Canberra-based researchers, Dr Vijay Bhooaplan and Professor Nicole Freene, to advance cancer prevention, treatment and outcomes.
• Canberrans are being encouraged to get involved by buying daffodils, hosting fundraisers, taking part in the Daffodil Day Dip at Lake Burley Griffin, or making a donation to support local cancer research.
•  

Cancer Council ACT calls on Canberrans to help fund the next 40 years of breakthroughs

Canberra will turn yellow on Thursday, 20 August, as Cancer Council ACT celebrates the 40th anniversary of Daffodil Day, Australia's most recognised cancer fundraiser and a campaign that has united Canberrans in the fight against cancer.

Since the first Daffodil Day in 1986, the daffodil has stood as the national symbol of hope for the one in two Australians who will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime. Forty years on, the campaign remains as a powerful symbol of hope, resilience and progress with every dollar raised in the ACT funding world-class research by Canberra-based scientists and clinicians.

This year, Cancer Council ACT awarded $200,000 in grants to two local researchers, Dr Vijay Bhooaplan and Professor Nicole Freene, supporting work that aims to improve cancer prevention, treatment and outcomes.

 

Cancer Council ACT CEO Verity Hawkins said the milestone anniversary is a chance to celebrate the generosity of our community while fuelling the next wave of breakthroughs.

 

“For 40 years, Daffodil Day has given our community a way to stand together against cancer. Every bunch of daffodils sold, every yellow morning tea, every cold dip, and every dollar donated funds vital research that is happening right now, right here in Canberra,” Ms Hawkins said.

 

"We've made remarkable progress over the past four decades, but there's still more work to do. Daffodil Day reminds us that when our community comes together, we can help fund better treatments, better outcomes and more hope for families facing cancer."

The impact of that community support has been extraordinary. In 1986, the five-year cancer survival rate was approximately 46 per cent. Today it has risen to 72 per cent, meaning nearly three out of four Australians diagnosed with cancer will survive at least five years after diagnosis.

 

Across Australia, Cancer Council has invested more than $47.3 million in cancer research in recent years, funding more than 650 researchers annually, with more than 63,000 fundraisers and donors supporting Daffodil Day in 2025 alone.

 

This August, Cancer Council ACT is inviting the community to wear yellow, buy a bunch of daffodils, host a fundraiser or make a donation to celebrate 40 years of Daffodil Day and ensure its legacy continues by funding the next generation of life-saving cancer research. 

Ways to get involved this Daffodil Day:

 

• Buy a bunch of daffodils.

Fresh daffodils and merchandise will be available from Cancer Council ACT stalls across Canberra on Thursday 20 August.

• Host a fundraiser.

Wear yellow at work, hold a morning tea, run a raffle, there are many ways you can host! Every fundraiser, big or small, helps.

• Take the plunge.

Join the Daffodil Day Dip and brave the cold at Lake Burley Griffin, your local pool, or an ice bath.

• Donate.

It’s always a good time to donate. Give directly to help fund vital local cancer research.

 

To donate, register a fundraiser, sign up for the Daffodil Day Dip or find your nearest Daffodil Day stall, visit daffodilday.com.au.

Together, its all of us against cancer.

 

-ENDS-

 

Notes to Editors:

What: Cancer Council's Daffodil Day

When: Thursday 20 August 2026

Who: Australians can donate and/or get involved

Register: Visit www.daffodilday.com.au 

 

Australian cancer facts and figures

• Almost one in two Australians will be diagnosed with cancer before the age of 85
• It’s estimated that over 170,000 Australians were diagnosed with cancer last year – that’s more than 466 per day
• It’s estimated that almost 53,500 Australians died from cancer in 2025
• It’s estimated that close to one million of Australia's population will have been diagnosed with cancer in the last 10 years
• Thanks to advances in cancer research, prevention, and early detection, five-year cancer survival rates have risen to 72% - an increase of more than 25% since the 1980s
• The most common cancers in Australia are prostate, breast, melanoma, bowel, and lung cancers
• Blood cancers account for 12% of cancers diagnosed. Blood cancers are particularly common in people under the age of 19, accounting for an estimated 40% of all cancer cases, but with a high survival rate over 90%.
• Cancer incidence rates for people in their 30s and 40s are increasing - particularly across thyroid, breast, prostate, bowel and kidney cancers
• Cancer diagnoses are expected to surpass 200,000 by 2034 due to an increase in population size and an ageing population

 

Funds raised from Daffodil Day can go a long way

• $30 Can help equip cancer researchers with essential chemicals and lab equipment to conduct life-saving research.
• $50 Can help pay for the collection and processing of a blood sample to enable us to discover more about how cancer develops.
• $100 Can help fund up to two hours of a research assistant’s time.
• $200 Helps fund DNA sequencing in a cancer gene, giving us the tools to improve cancer treatments and save lives.
• $200 Can help pay for the collection and ongoing storage of a tumour sample used in studies to improve the way we prevent and detect cancers.
• $250 Provides up to one week of scholarship funding for a PhD research student, enabling them to provide critical support to a research team.
• $250 Can pay for a lab assistant for a day to support a researcher with vital laboratory testing.
• $250 Helps fund a clinical trial of new immunotherapies for patients with chemo-resistant cancers.
• $500 Can support one undergraduate student to work in a lab on a cancer research project for one week, inspiring the next generation of cancer researchers.
• $1,000 Pays for analysis of two gene samples.
• $5,000 Can help purchase materials for a lab-based cancer project for one year.

About us:

Cancer Council ACT has been advocating for Canberrans living with cancer for nearly 50 years across every aspect of cancer prevention, support and research to alleviate the impact of cancer in the community. Learn more about what we do here. 

Contact details:

For media enquiries, please contact:    

Cancer Council ACT  

P: (02) 6257 9999  E: [email protected]