BENDIGO Athletic Club is holding a run fundraiser for cancer research in memory of one of its greats.<\/p>\n
John Burke was one of the club\u2019s founding members and was awarded a medal in the Order of Australia in 2014.<\/p>\n
Club committee member and runner Michael Preece was once coached by Mr Burke and said proceeds raised from the event will go to the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat was the main place that he spent fighting his cancer,\u201d said Mr Preece.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve also got a pretty big raffle going on on the day as well, so all the proceeds to that will be going to the Peter MacCallum as well.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019d like as many people as possible, the more the merrier, I feel. We\u2019ve got no limit.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019ll also be events open to anyone who wants to walk it as well, not just runners.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Preece said athletics club members wanted to hold a race that honoured Mr Burke.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s done a lot of stuff around Bendigo with organising and being part of the committee for over 50 odd years,\u201d Mr Preece said.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019d coached athletes for roughly 60 odd years, so he\u2019d been involved in the sport for a long time.\u201d<\/p>\n
For AFL fans, Mr Preece said the race\u2019s main sponsor osteopath Matt McEvoy\u2019s brother, ex-Hawthorn player Ben McEvoy, will be coming along and a raffle will include a signed jersey.<\/p>\n
The brothers are John Burke\u2019s nephews.<\/p>\n
The community has been getting behind the event, said Mr Preece, and the group has had \u201cgreat success\u201d with gathering support from local businesses such as restaurants which have contributed to the raffle.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe main thing that we want is sort of getting out, getting healthy and fit,\u201d said Mr Preece.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe did make the entry fee low, but we do hope that people will enter, and then maybe splurge out on the raffle tickets.\u201d<\/p>\n
The event on Sunday 20 August will involve two races, the adults starting at 10.30am and kids going 11am, all from Crusoe Reservoir Number 7 park in Kangaroo Flat.<\/p>\n