MGallery hotels in Australia and across the globe are embracing Pink October in support of Breast Cancer Awareness month.
On Thursday The William Inglis Hotel MGallery – a luxury hotel with a rich equestrian heritage at Warwick Farm in NSW – hosted its annual Pink October charity event in support of the McGrath Foundation and will continue to raise money for The McGrath Foundation throughout October.
In addition, the hotel has placed stickers with QR codes in rooms and public areas to inform guests on how to conduct a thorough self-examination.
Michelle Payne OAM, the first woman to win the Melbourne Cup, was the special guest at Thursday’s lunch, candidly sharing her story and the challenges of competing in a traditionally male-dominated sport.
“We could not think of a more fitting ambassador for our Pink October lunch than Michelle Payne, who captured the hearts of Australia when she won the Melbourne Cup and who continues to inspire women and girls to believe they can do anything they set their hearts to,” said William Inglis Hotel MGallery General Manager, Belinda Thomson.
Speaking about the global initiative, Thomson said she is proud to be involved.
“The MGallery brand is not just a collection of beautiful boutique hotels across the world that have very unique stories, such as ours here at the William Inglis, but it’s also their passion and their connection to empower and support women, and that is reflected in Pink October,” she said.
“That’s part of our MGallery brand journey globally, and I’m so honored to be part of that process.”
Payne said she was honoured to help raise funds for such an important cause, before she recalled memories from growing up, her career in horse racing, and her Melbourne Cup win.
“On the day, I was so happy to achieve my dream from a little five-year-old, but as soon as I stepped off Prince of Penzance, and I think within five minutes of being interviewed, I realised it was so much more than that,” she said.
“It was so many years of, in our sport in particular, watching the older girls fight for opportunities. And I remember so clearly growing up, my dad used to walk around our house and say, ‘the girls are as good as the boys; they just need the opportunities’. He used to repeat it over and over again, and I believed it, because why wouldn’t we?”
Two-time Olympic medallist Sarah Ryan was the emcee of the event, with Debbie Kepitis, co-owner of the one of Australia’s greatest racehorses Winx, another special guest.