Bob Penty is gearing up for the Prostate Cancer Blue September breakfast.

Over the past two years a Timaru prostate cancer survivor has met about 100 South Canterbury men affected by the disease.

And Timaru Prostate Cancer Support Group co-ordinator Bob Penty hopes to draw out more sufferers and raise awareness of the disease with a Blue September breakfast at Columbus Coffee on Theodosia St on Wednesday.

Penty said the outing let sufferers bring their families into the conversation.

"We push very hard that it's not just the men's journey, it's a journey for the man and his partner," he said.

"The breakfast also brings outside support groups into contact with members of our organisation."

The group also held monthly meetings, attended by their 10 core members and often about 15 others.

"They come to our meeting really down in the dumps. They leave on cloud nine because they talked to someone who went through it.

"As they get their treatment and their treatment finishes, they move on."

About 3000 New Zealanders are diagnosed with the cancer each year, and about 650 lose their fight.

"By the time symptoms are showing for prostate cancer, it's difficult to get successful treatment.

"It originates in the prostate gland and if it's not diagnosed there it moves through the bones of the body."

"Our big push is for men to swallow their pride and get tested."

Penty said money raised through the breakfast, and its $2 raffles, would go to the Prostate Cancer Foundation of New Zealand in Auckland - "but we have no trouble getting money back down".

The foundation had given financial help to its Timaru branch for advertising and hiring venues, with its biggest contribution being to fund the training of two urology nurses working at Timaru Public Hospital.

"They give you a lot of contacts within the system too. We can only really talk to people who are going to go through surgery, but we can get them in contact with people on chemotherapy, radiation."

The event starts at 7am and runs for three hours.