Runners pass baton to make a difference
Big-hearted walkers raised more than $80,000 at the weekend, as hundreds turned out for the second annual Rockingham Kwinana Relay for Life.
Event committee member Jon Ellis said 37 teams walked for 24 hours across Saturday and Sunday, around the hockey oval at Lark Hill Sportsplex.
Mr Ellis commended participants on their strong community spirit and dedication to fundraising for Cancer Council WA.
He said highlights included a morning tea at the beginning of the weekend to honour the memory of those lost to cancer and celebrate survivors.
“It’s the community’s event and there was lots of fun and frolicking over the 24-hour event,” Mr Ellis said.
“We raised about the same as this time last year, although many of the teams are still collecting their funds, so we won’t know the final total until later.”
Tracey Tideswell, whose six-year-old son Callum survived cancer, said he delighted in telling morning tea attendees about his battle with neuroblastoma.
Students from Kolbe Catholic College were in high spirits more than six hours into the relay.
Kaitlyn Richards, 15, said the group of Year 10 students had been looking forward to the event, with some using it as practice for a school cross-country event this week.
Rockingham Mayor Barry Sammels said the community’s commitment to raising funds sent an important message of support and hope to everyone whose life had been touched by the shadow of cancer.
