Walk up to back relay team

SOPHIE FOUNÉ

ON the fourth Sunday of each month an afternoon of performance is held at a local motel in support of charities and non-profit organisations.

Known as the Peter Sheahan’s Walk Up, the jam session was started by Mr Sheahan 25 years ago and each month proceeds raised go to a different cause.

This month, the funds from the 25 February get together will go to the Bendigo Uniting Churches’ Relay for Life fundraising team.

Leader of the group for more than 20 years, Anne Villiers said Relay for Life was an acknowledgement of those affected by cancer in some way, including carers.

“The relay event is set up to support research into cancer, but it’s also a way that the people involved can remember those that might have lost their fight to cancer or be still living with cancer,” she said.

Peter Sheahan’s wife, Evelyn, said a lot of people from around Bendigo love to get up and sing, play instruments, or share poetry and jokes attend, and described it as a “once-a-month extended family.”

“I guess the backbone of it is country music. A lot of people get up and sing rock, but we don’t go for the headbanging stuff,” she said.

“We’re very fortunate, we have a couple of guys who travel all the way from Portland. We’ve got another guy who often turns up from Ballarat, Echuca, they come from all over.

“We look forward to seeing each other, we reach out sometimes if people are not doing it so well, and it’s just nice.”

Other charities and not-for-profits Peter Sheahan Walk Up will support during 2024 include Bendigo Health’s intensive care service, community radio stations Phoenix FM and KLFM, Bendigo Palliative Care, Heartbeat Victoria Bendigo, Cystic Fibrosis Central, Australian NPC Disease Foundation, the Motor Neurone Disease Foundation, and Carshalton House.

Those interested in performing at a Peter Sheahan Walk Up can contact Ms Sheahan in advance on 0407 059 480 or register at the Golden Hills Motel by 12.30pm on the Sunday for a 1pm start.