Classic walk supports cancer research

HUNDREDS of walkers are expected to participate in the Lighthouse Classic this month, a fundraising event supporting the Fiona Elsey Cancer Research Institute (FECRI).

Participants set their own personal challenges, walking any time throughout January, anywhere in Australia or overseas.

An official group walk, starting and finishing at Aireys Inlet Lighthouse will be held on Sunday 18 January, starting at 9am.

The 10-kilometre return walk will follow the Surf Coast Walk to Spouts Creek, pass the Fairhaven Surf Life Saving Club and return to the lighthouse.

A four-kilometre option is also available, making the event accessible for families, casual walkers and those seeking a gentler distance.

The Lighthouse Classic, created by the late Janet Jones OAM to shine a light on what causes cancer and how it can be effectively treated, is in its sixth year.

Ms Jones faced three battles with cancer over 33 years and launched the event to raise funds for the FECRI, Australia’s only regional, community-funded cancer research institute.

Ms Jones’s family continued the Lighthouse Classic in her honour after her death in 2021.

Her daughter Lucy Jones said the event reflected the family’s ongoing commitment to supporting cancer research.

“Cancer touches so many lives, and we’ve seen first-hand how deeply it affects families and communities,” she said.

“The Lighthouse Classic brings people together to show their support and make a real difference through research. Every step taken helps give hope to those facing cancer.”

The event has raised more than $200,000, supporting the employment of a research scientist to advance cancer research aimed at improving outcomes for patients and families.

Professor George Kannourakis, director of FECRI and Ms Jones’s oncologist, said the event supports research across a wide range of cancers, including breast, bowel, brain, blood, ovarian and renal cancers, as well as rare diseases such as Langerhans cell histiocytosis.

“Thanks to the generosity of everyone involved in the Lighthouse Classic, regional science continues to make a meaningful global contribution in the fight against cancer,” he said.