Mother’s Day Classic runs local

THE Mother’s Day Classic will return this year to Beischer Park in Strathdale on Sunday, but it will look a little different.

All things pink will remain at the fundraising event for breast cancer research, but this year participants must adhere to COVID safe rules according to local management team members Jody McGregor and Jo Boyd.

“It’s significantly different to other years,” Ms McGregor said. “Due to COVID the Mother’s Day Classic Foundation is pivoting a little bit to try and still keep this going.

“They’ve decided to go local and have a local feel so we’re still getting that community spirit we’re just not having the huge fanfare that sits around it because of COVID restrictions.

Despite the reimagined event both women said the community are still keen to participate in the walk or run which will be staggered in five waves and capped at 100 people per wave.

“It’ll still have that vibe of the Mother’s Day Classic and that sense of community, but it won’t be as big as it was in other years,” Ms McGregor said.

“Everyone knows someone that has been touched by breast cancer. It’s a terrible, insidious disease which in this day and age we should have something that could improve their lives and cure it.”

“People want to get out and they want to do it and they want to support breast cancer research,” Ms Boyd said.

“I’ve been in primary school communities and I’ve seen at least 10 mothers be diagnosed with breast cancer and I’m like ‘it’s just too young’,” she said. “You just want to get out and help.”

On-the-day registration will be available and for the first time this year participants are invited to register their pets too. Registration for the Bendigo event must be completed online to ensure participant access, and people are required to check-in on the day and adhere to social distancing rules.

A roadblock will also be in place on Cousins St from 6am to 12pm on the day.