Bellarine takes first steps to restart Relay For Life

A LEOPOLD-BASED cancer survivor is leading the charge to revive an annual Cancer Council fundraiser on the Bellarine.

Cancer Council’s Relay For Life has not been held on the Bellarine since 2018, but mother of two Lorelle Hardman is keen to get the community event up and running once again.

“With my 10-year anniversary coming up since being declared free of cervical cancer in 2014, I thought it would be great to restart this event,” Ms Hardman said.

“I’ve contacted Cancer Council about the possibility of getting this event up and running again and I was given the green light.”

Ms Harman, mother to daughter Tenika and son Kye, is planning to host the event at Leopold Primary School, where both her children attend.

Relay For Life is generally held in October-November, but Ms Hardman said due to planning, the Bellarine event is tentatively slated to be held in March next year.

“We had our first committee meeting on Tuesday night and if everyone stays on board, we’ll have a minimum of six members to make the event a reality, with me as chairperson manager,” Ms Hardman said.

“As the old saying goes, many hands makes light work, so anyone else who would like to join the committee is more than welcome to.”

Ms Hardman was diagnosed with cervical cancer in August, 2013, following the birth of her son.

Following both chemotherapy and radiation treatments, Ms Hardman was declared cancer-free the following year.

Ms Hardman first joined the Relay For Life committee in 2014 before leaving the group following the 2017 event.

Following 2018’s edition of Relay For Life Bellarine, the group folded and has not been run since.

Australians participate in over 200 relays across Australia each year and encourages fun and moving events to raise vital funds for Cancer Council’s research, prevention, and support services.

Anyone interested in joining Relay For Life Bellarine’s new committee can do so by contacting Kelly Fuery at Cancer Council at [email protected]