THERE\u2019S a feeling of excitement among the Bendigo Relay for Life team, confident that after two years of cancellations the annual Cancer Council fundraiser will go ahead this August.<\/p>\n
Chair of Bendigo Relay for Life, Teresa Jones, said the event will run in a 10-hour format, rather than her preferred overnight event, due to COVID-19 restrictions on camping.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re very excited to think we might actually get it to run this year and get a bit back to normal,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a 10-hour event not an overnight event but we just want to get it going and we want to get lots of teams to enjoy it and fundraise.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have a preference for an overnight, the middle of the night is when people [with cancer] are suffering and when you\u2019re walking in the middle of the night, you\u2019re thinking of people suffering.<\/p>\n
\u201cLots of people didn\u2019t have check-ups in the last two and a half years and people are being diagnosed with cancer that should\u2019ve been picked up before. We need to get the word out and raise money for research.\u201d<\/p>\n
Since 2000, the Bendigo Relay for Life has raised $3.6 million for cancer research and support services.<\/p>\n
According to the Cancer Council, over 750 people are diagnosed with cancer in Greater Bendigo each year.<\/p>\n
Ms Jones said about a dozen teams have signed up already but is hopeful for another 20 teams at least.<\/p>\n
\u201cTeams have been a lot less over the last two years and we\u2019re hoping we can build it up again this year,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know everybody\u2019s going back to doing everything they were before so life is very busy at the moment, but we\u2019d still love lots more people.\u201d<\/p>\n