Walkers put best foot forward for FECRI

ABOUT 320 walkers set off last month across the Surf Coast as part of the Lighthouse Classic.

The walkers, who came from across Australia, raised $30,835 for cancer research. It took the classic’s fundraising total to more than $230,000 over six years.

In January, two parties embarked around some of Victoria’s picturesque lighthouses, including those at Aireys Inlet, Point Lonsdale and Queenscliff.

They walked across beaches, before the region’s crashing waves and iconic hills meeting the shore.

In 2021 Janet Jones OAM launched the event, which raises money for Ballarat’s Fiona Elsey Cancer Research Institute (FECRI).

After her death the Jones family continued the classic, supporting the employment of a scientist for cancer research.

Last month, Ms Jones’ daughter Lucy Jones said the classic was a way people could come together and make a contribution.

“Cancer touches so many lives and we’ve seen firsthand 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.”

Institute director George Kannourakis said with their fundraising those who took part in the classic had supported regional research of cancer.

“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,” Professor Kannourakis said in January.

He said the Lighthouse Classic supported 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.

More information at lighthouseclassic.com.au