Jay Allen
Jay & Raph
“I met Jay shortly after Tess passed and for 8 years now we speak almost daily. There is a ‘buzz’ I get when I’m around him and we don’t stop talking – about events, fundraising and the big ideas we have to help end melanoma.
We always support one another’s events like Cycling to March in 2014, where I joke he nearly knocked me off my bike at the finish line! I’ve been on the road each time Jay decides to walk thousands of km. We both know life is short, so we’re going to make sure we make an impact and have plenty of laughs along the way. Thanks Jay.”
Raphael
Some Proud Accomplishments
- 2021 Awarded a Medal of the Order (OAM)
- 2019 Tour De Cure Individual Fundraiser Award
- 2019 Skin & Cancer Foundation Inc Healthy Skin Award for 2019
- 2017 Australian of the Year Local Hero category finalist
- 2017 Pride of Australian Medal finalist
- 2016 Lobbied and banned sun beds across Australia
- 2015 Outstanding Advocate of the Year by Melanoma Patients Australia
- 2014 Top 25 Not for Profit’s Most Influential People by Pro Bono Magazine
Major Fundraising Initiatives
900KM For a Cure
In 2014 Jay walked 900 km in 16 days from Melbourne to Sydney with fellow survivor Andrew Rust, raising $160,000 for Melanoma Institute Australia.
The Longest Melanoma March
In 2017 Jay walked 1200 km in 29 days from Brisbane to Sydney raising $260,000 for Melanoma Institute Australia.
Jay's Longest Melanoma March
In 2019 Jay walked 2000 km in 50 days from Adelaide to Sydney raising $606,000 for Melanoma Institute Australia.
Melanoma Institute Australia
The Melanoma Institute Australia (MIA) is a non-profit organization in Sydney, Australia which focuses on prevention of and cure for melanoma through research, treatment and education programs.
For 10 years, Jay was MIA’s Community Engagement Manager, devoted to spreading the sun-safe message to schools, organisations and communities around Australia.
In January 2021 Jay finished up his work with Melanoma Institute and is branching into consultancy education work as ‘The Melanoma Man‘.
Melanoma Facts & Figures
Source: Melanoma Institute Australia
- One Australian dies from melanoma every five hours
- Melanoma is the most common cancer affecting 15 to 39-year old-Australians
- Australia and NZ have the highest melanoma rates in the world
- Some 14,000 Australians are expected to be diagnosed with melanoma this year and an estimated 1,800 will die from the disease
- If detected early, 90% of melanomas can be successfully treated with surgery alone
- Over the past five years, the use of surgery plus additional treatment has significantly extended life expectancy of advanced melanoma patients
- Intense, intermittent sun exposure leading to sunburn, particularly prior to puberty, increases your risk of developing melanoma
Source: Melanoma Institute Australia
- One Australian dies from melanoma every five hours
- Melanoma is the most common cancer affecting 15 to 39-year-old Australians
- Australia and NZ have the highest melanoma rates in the world
- Some 14,000 Australians are expected to be diagnosed with melanoma this year and an estimated 1,800 will die from the disease
- If detected early, 90% of melanomas can be successfully treated with surgery alone
- Over the past five years, the use of surgery plus additional treatment has significantly extended life expectancy of advanced melanoma patients
- Intense, intermittent sun exposure leading to sunburn, particularly prior to puberty, increases your risk of developing melanoma