TWO Breast Friends were among the 400-strong crowd who converged on Tamworth Paceway for the city’s annual Relay for Life over the weekend.
The walkathon, which raises money for the NSW Cancer Council, kicked off on Saturday afternoon as individuals and teams made their way around the track for 18 hours.
Leading the charge was Simone Williams and Brooke Murray – part of the Breast Friends team – who were among a handful who walked the whole 18 hours without stopping.
“Every year we try and do something that’s good for the community, and raise awareness,” Simone said.
“Cancer research is a real passion of mine because I’m a nurse.
“This is such a good cause, so we wanted to be a part of it.”
The exhausted duo didn’t count how many laps they did or how far they walked, but both said it was a rewarding experience to finish the walkathon after walking for 18 hours without training.
Oxley High School entered the largest time into this year’s relay, with 48 students from across all years and 12 staff lacing up for the good cause.
Fifteen-year-old Boedee Thompson, a year 10 student at the school,proved the biggest walker out of his team, completing 252 laps of the paceway.
Relay For Life kicked off with an opening ceremony at 2pm before cancer survivors and carers took their first lap of the track.
The afternoon’s live entertainment kicked off from 2.30pm with local bands performing, Tug- a War, nearest the pin golf, the rock climbing wall, and a jumping castle.
A candlelight ceremony was held on dusk about 7.30pm to pay special tribute to those we have lost to cancer with a screening of photos of loved ones.
All the money raised from the event stays local and helps to fund programs and services, such as Inala House Cancer Patient accommodation facility, Tamworth Transport to Treatment Service and Home Help.
Organisers had hoped to raise $60,000 from Tamworth’s relay, but figures were still being counted on Sunday.
Relay For Life has is the largest fundraising event for cancer in the world, celebrated by more than 4 million people across 20 countries.
City comes together for relay
ORGANISERS of this year’s Tamworth Relay for Life have dubbed it a resounding success.
A total of 430 people rolled out to the Tamworth Paceway to tackle the 18-hour walkathon to raise money for NSW Cancer Council.
Tamworth Cancer Council community relations coordinator Kate Dubois said the annual event again proved popular with all ages.
“It was really good,” Ms Dubois said on Sunday morning.
“We had a couple of high schools involved, so had an entertaining night with karaoke at midnight, touch footy at 3am in the morning. The hope ceremony was really beautiful.”
The hope ceremony remembers those loved ones in our community who have been lost to cancer.
Relay for Life events are now held in every Australian state and territory, with more than 134,000 participants raising over $14 million each year. Every dollar raised goes towards funding Cancer Council’s vital research, prevention and support programs, many of which help people in your community every day.
