No beers for Beyer during Dry July

THIS July, Mark Laidler is going dry. He’ll stick to the waters and by doing so, raise money for the Andrew Love Cancer Centre.
In 2013 Mark’s close friend Scott Beyer was diagnosed with angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma, an aggressive blood cancer and in 2016, at just 31 years of age, the loving father, husband, son, brother and friend died from the insidious disease.
Mark said they were part of a close-knit friendship group and this was the first time he’ll join his mates, who’ve taken part in the Barwon Health Foundation campaign since Scott was the 2014 ambassador.
“This is the first year I’ve signed up but I’ve wanted to do it for a long time. I really felt I should do it, apart from the obvious benefits of raising money for Andrew Love, I wanted to support Corinne (Scott’s wife) and his girls (Ava and Sophie),” he said.
This year Corinne Beyer is carrying on her husband’s legacy as the 2020 ambassador and Mark said the Scott No Beers team currently has 22 members.
“We have a pretty decent team, most of our group has come on board and nearly all of us are doing it together which is really good.”
As a husband and father of three, Mark said with every year (and milestone) that passes, he thinks often of his friend Scott, their friendship and the life he left behind.
“I moved to Ocean Grove when I was 15. I met Scott through sporting groups and mutual friends. We had a really close group, we did all the major milestones and celebrations.
“New Year’s Eve, birthdays, grand final parties; there was a group of about 10 to 12 of us that would always be together. We had a punters’ club going for eight years, I took over the reins when Scott died, he passed that on to me.
“Scott was the driver behind most social events, he was the life of the party, the one towards the end of the night, if there was an arm-in-arm singalong to be had, he’d be leading the way.”
Mark said his friend definitely enjoyed a tipple or two but was “fit as a fiddle” when he was diagnosed with cancer.
“Scott was a dedicated and devoted father and husband he was fit and healthy when he got sick. As I get older I obviously have a different perspective.
“Having kids yourself, I can’t fathom what Corinne is going through with the girls, and what the girls are missing out on. It puts into perspective how fortunate we are to have our health and not to take it for granted.
“That’s why Dry July is good it helps you maintain a healthy lifestyle, and as we get older we need to focus more on our health.”
For Mark, the loss of his friend has had a long-lasting impact on all of those who loved him.
“He was the energy of the group, the one that would bring us together in a non-obtrusive way – the focal point. He always got people involved, even now people are still gravitating towards him because of his personality.
“I think we’re all doing Dry July to continue on Scott’s name and legacy, to get around his girls and support them. They’ve been amazing through this and at the same time, encourage people to donate to the Andrew Love Cancer Centre.
“They do amazing stuff and the way they treated Scott was awesome.”
To donate to the team, go to dryjuly.com and search “Scott No Beers”.