Veterans’ relay team gets a rattle on

THE Surf Coast Relay for Life will not be run until March, but some groups have already begun fundraising.

Among those raising money to fight cancer are a group of local veterans, who started getting together 12 years ago when the Department of Veterans Affairs began funding a Health Smart exercise program at the Torquay gym.

In February this year, the group decided they wanted to focus on helping others in their community, and established “Veterans on a Mission”.

With all the members having either been directly or indirectly affected by cancer, they decided their mission should be to help fight the disease.

The last time the Relay for Life was held the Veterans on a Mission group had only been formed about a month earlier, and so had little time to prepare. Despite this, the group still managed to raise about $6,000.

This year the team is starting early to ensure they raise every cent possible.

Team captain Peter Thomas said he was proud of what the group were achieving.

“The veterans are well under way with planned sausage sizzles and tin rattles, determined to accumulate for the Victorian Cancer Council research funds well over the $6,000-plus raised by the team in 2019.”

The Surf Coast Relay for Life’s chair of the organising committee Bob Tyler said it was great to see groups starting their preparations early and encouraged others to begin thinking about next year’s event.

“A couple of teams determined to raise more than last year, are already out tin rattling and holding sausage sizzles.

“Now is the time to register a team and its members. The participation fee is far less now than it will be as we approach 2020.”

To register for Relay for Life, head to relayforlife.org.au.