Passing on hope, support

“THE hardest part about the Survivors Walk at a Cancer Council Victoria Relay For Life event is qualifying.”
This poignant comment was put to me during a Casey Cardinia Relay For Life (RFL) committee meeting that was planning a Relay For Life to be held at Akoonah Park, Berwick, on Friday 3 and Saturday 4 March.
The relay is gaining strength globally and has come to the Cardinia Casey region.
Unlike other annual appeals such as Red Cross and the Salvos that are held as blanket fundraisers across the State, RFLs are held at times to suit individual communities.
RFL is a Cancer Council of Victoria (CCV) activity and this year aims to raise $3 million.
Organisers said during the meeting that the cure rate for cancer was now 70 per cent, but before CCV fund raising came along, cancer was a death sentence.
Despite the ‘grim reaper’ feelings sometimes attached to this dreadful disease, RFL has a festive air of bonding and of absolute hope.
The deepseated hope is that money raised will help scientists find a cure for cancer.
The challenge I see is that America raises $300 million a year from 3000 RFL events and total recovery still eludes us.
Nevertheless, we are 75 per cent there.
Teams aim to raise $100 or more for each member and because of the way they hold the relays we see people uniting and supporting each other at a festive occasion.
The first lap of the relay, the survivors lap, honours cancer survivors who are sometimes joined by their carers in what is a moving and emotional time.
As darkness falls, hundreds of candles begin to twinkle in the night with each sending a tribute to and remembrance of those lost to cancer and of hope and support to those living with cancer.
The candles are placed in bags decorated and adorned with messages from the hearts of many people touched in one way or another by cancer.
People will come to Akoonah Park to stay overnight in tents and entertainers and food stalls will be about the grounds.
Take away the cancer and it will be lots of fun.
The money will go to CCV for use in research that seeks the prevention of cancer, support programs and eventual cure.
Even if you can’t be involved in the relay there is a chance to go along to the park at 5.45pm on Friday, 3 March for the opening ceremony and the survivors lap.
Maybe stay on to see the candles tell the world that a day will dawn when not one person dies from cancer.
If you would like to be part of RFL, please call Deborah Ditchburn on 0412 850 257.