By JESSE GRAHAM AND KATH GANNAWAY
HUNDREDS of walkers, runners and passionate fund-raisers will be making their way to Healesville’s Don Road Sporting Complex this weekend as the Relay for Life comes to town once again.
The 9 November relay marks the 10th anniversary of the event in Healesville, which will see teams running or walking for 18 hours to raise money for the Cancer Council.
Last year, 47 teams and 680 participants flooded into the sporting complex, raising over $95,000 at the overnight event. This year the Cancer Council are aiming to raise $100,000.
Relay participants will begin the relay at 3pm on Saturday 9 November and finish their effort at 9am on Sunday 10 November, with entertainment and sausage sizzles taking place at the sporting complex to accompany the event and raise extra money.
United by the cause of raising money for cancer research, teams across the Yarra Ranges are passionate about the annual event and the essential services that donated funds will go towards.
Wayne, Hetty and Keith Thomas are part of Warburton’s Team Thomas participating in the Relay for Life for the first time. They have their sights set on raising $5000 for brain cancer research.
The family, well-known in business and community in Warburton, will be walking for Wayne Thomas who is undergoing treatment for a brain tumour.
“It’s definitely a team effort with Wayne’s parents Keith and Edna in their late 80s and our youngest members one-year-old Savannah, and Heidi who is nearly three, trotting it out over the weekend,” Wayne’s wife, Hetty said.
A fund-raising barbecue two weeks ago raised nearly $4000 and Hetty said her family have been overwhelmed by the support received.
“Every single family there has been touched in some way by cancer; every family has a story to tell,” she said.
“We have so many people who have volunteered to walk for Wayne – friends, family, business, it’s definitely a team effort.”
Keith Thomas said his son’s diagnosis had come as a terrible blow for the entire family and urged the people of Upper Yarra to head over to Healesville to support the event and fight cancer.
“Anything we can do to raise money for cancer research will help,” he said.
For more information about the Relay for Life, visit www.relayforlife.org.au, call 1300 65 65 85 or email yarraranges@relayforlife.org.au.
