TRY A HOBBY: ROCK PAINTING
When my mum first introduced my then seven-year-old daughter to rock painting I thought it was a one-off day of school holiday craft.
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Little did I realise it would become a hobby that three generations of our family would enjoy doing together, and still regularly spend time doing, two years later.
The reason my daughter got so involved and so passionate about rock painting was because she heard about a charity Facebook group called Rock for ROC and wanted to do whatever she could to help.
CEO/founder, Tasha Armour, started Rare Ovarian Cancer (ROC) Inc. after her daughter was diagnosed with ovarian cancer at the age of just 16. The ovarian cancer she was diagnosed with has never received any research.
"I wanted to bring attention to ovarian cancer, its symptoms and raise much needed funds for research," Tasha said.
"One day we were in the waiting room of the Crown Princess Mary Cancer Centre to see my daughter's oncologist and we were looking at pictures to create an outdoor Tic Tac Toe on a tree stump with painted rocks. It was then that I had the light bulb moment of painting rocks for awareness. A concept that was quickly embraced, initially by family and friends, but now we have members all over Australia and the world."
The concept is that people paint a rock in whatever design or pattern they like, they place an awareness message on the bottom of the rock and then hide the rock in a public spot (at the beach, a park, a business place etc) so that someone else can find it.
"The symptoms of ovarian cancer are subtle and often dismissed as other aliments," Tasha said. "By using rock painting as awareness we have been able to have fun painting and playing hide and seek with the rocks but we are also able to create awareness, letting the community know that ovarian cancer affects females of all ages."
People right across Australia have jumped on board this initiative. The Rock for ROC Facebook group is fairly new and already has almost 4000 members painting rocks and spreading awareness for ovarian cancer. There has been thousands of painted rocks placed all over Australia and the world.
WHAT YOU NEED:
- Paintbrushes
- Acrylic paints and/or markers such as Sharpies or POSCA pens
- Sealer (for exterior use)
- Rocks - can be purchased from some landscaping suppliers or Bunnings
- A Rock for ROC awareness message - can be downloaded from the Facebook page
- A little imagination - or if you need some ideas just search rock painting on google, Pinterest or head to the Rock for ROC Facebook page
Just paint your rock, place the awareness message on the bottom, seal the rock to protect it from the weather and hide your rock for someone else to find.
The great thing about rock painting is that it is an activity that people of all ages can participate in. You can do it on your own, with your family or in a group (when social distancing bans are lifted).
"It is very rewarding to paint a rock and put it out in the community for a stranger to find and brighten their day. It's a wonderful act of kindness and feels good," Tasha said. "I have also been spraying my rocks with Glen20 or hand sanitiser before I place them given the current COVID-19 situation."
Aside from creating awareness through Rock for ROC, ROC Inc. has also helped to raise much needed funds for research.
"We are currently funding the research for the type of ovarian cancer my daughter was diagnosed with. This research is the world's first and largest systematic research for Juvenile Granulosa Cell Tumour (jGCT) a rare ovarian cancer that affects babies as young as four months old," Tasha said.
"The research is to find the mutated gene, the most basic information any cancer needs for treatment options. So the Rock for ROC group is also creating life changing history for the future."
If you would like to try a new hobby, give rock painting a go and raise awareness for an important cause while you're at it! Visit rocinc.org.au or Rock for ROC on Facebook.