Hornsby Relay for Life is returning to Rofe Park in Hornsby Heights on the weekend of 3-4 November, and the event aims to raise $100,000 for Cancer Council to fund research, prevention and support services.
Relay For Life is a community fundraising challenge, where friends and families come together to join a ‘relay team’ to take turns walking around a track for 24 hours – to signify that cancer never rests, so neither do we.
The event kicks off at 10am on Saturday 3 November, where teams will start a 24 hour walking relay around Rofe Park. You can stay for a few hours or stay for the whole duration, it’s really what your comfortable and able to do. When you’re not the one walking in your team, there’s lots to do.
All funds raised go towards Australia’s leading cancer charity, Cancer Council. Underpinned by research, 61,000 Australian lives have been saved by improvements in cancer prevention, screening and treatment over the past 20 years.
But with an estimated 134,000 new cases of cancer expected to be diagnosed in Australia this year, we need every Australian to rally behind us and help continue this vital work.
North Shore Mum and business owner Julie Attwood did Relay for Life in 2017, and is back to do it again in 2018. She says:
‘The impact that cancer has is massive, there’s no doubt. The impact a community can have when they come together, now that’s something else entirely.
I got involved in Relay because too many family, friends and clients had either had cancer, were having treatment for cancer or had died from cancer. I truly lost count. Life is busy and I wasn’t able to help my loved ones as much as I wanted to, but I can walk and fundraise and doing this can help further the research to get rid of this awful disease. Relay is not just about walking and fundraising though.
Until I attended a Relay I didn’t realise what a special event it was and how much it would stay with me. Not only is Relay for Life a chance to celebrate survivors, thank carers and remember those we’ve lost to cancer, but the connections you make with others is incredible. Hearing stories of survivors, reflecting at the candlelight ceremony, walking laps and chatting with other teams – it’s really quite unique. Not to mention, a whole lot of fun too with the live entertainment, delicious food and late night silent disco (or not so silent if you can’t help singing).
Last year we had the coldest and wettest day in the history of Novembers and my team still had a ball. Many of them didn’t even know each other before the event and they’re all looking forward to coming back this year.
Julie Attwood and some of her team at Relay For Life in 2017
Last year was the first full event I’d attended. I’d only done laps at a prior event a few years ago when it was about 40 degrees – Relay seems to have extreme weather! I don’t remember exact numbers but there was over 20 in my team last year. Some people stayed the full 24 hours and others could only do an hour or so. I left it up to each team member to decide what they wanted to do. How Relay works is you have a team of people enter so at least one person is on the track at all times in the 24 hours. My team just took it in turns walking – sometimes the whole team was on the track, sometimes just one. It’s really easy if you can’t do the full 24 hours – just come along and stay as much as you can. The only time nobody is walking is when the candlelight ceremony is happening – that’s when everyone comes together at dusk. It certainly isn’t compulsory to stay overnight.
I highly recommend getting involved. It’s just one day, but what a difference you could make.’
