THE Cancer Council’s Relay for Life event will return to Leeton next year thanks to a group of determined residents.
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A call out on social media recently asked residents whether or not they thought it feasible for the event to be returned to town.
Relay for Life was last held in Leeton in 2009.
Leeton resident Jodie Salerno said she thought it was time the event returned.
“We’ve been to the Cancer Council and they have given it permission to go ahead again next year, which is really exciting,” she said.
“It’s such a great event, so we thought why not have it here again.
“Now what we really need is for the community to get behind it.
“We had such a good response on Facebook, but now we need people to join the committee and help us get it going.”
Relay for Life in Leeton will be conducted at the town ovals. It will involve teams of between 10 and 15 people walking the track for a certain amount of time.
Fund-raising is conducted in the lead up to the event, with all money raised used by the Cancer Council for vital research and patient assistance.
Cancer Council volunteer and survivor of the disease Meryl Parker said the event in Leeton would help no end.
“All of the money raised really does help,” she said.
“With the cancer I’ve had each time I’ve needed treatment it’s been different.
“That’s because research is being conducted and new ways of treating cancer are found. It’s so important the community gets behind this.”
The Cancer Council is looking at hosting the event on either the last weekend of October in 2016 or the first week of November.
A meeting will be held on April 14 at the Rapps room at the Leeton Soldiers Club to officially form a committee.
“We would definitely love to have as many people there as possible,” Mrs Salerno said.
“The more people we have on board the easier it will be to organise everything.
“We all know someone that has been affected by cancer, whether it’s a mother, father, brother, sister, aunty, uncle or friend.
“Everyone has been touched by cancer, so we hope that means we’ll be supported with this.”
The event will be held at the town ovals and will include different activities and ceremonies.
Teams participate in a relay-style walk or run, challenging themselves to stay on the track overnight.
Each event is unique and participants can stay for the whole event and camp overnight.
Leeton’s Relay for Life event also has a Facebook page that can be found at www.facebook.com/RelayforlifeLeeton?fref=ts.
For more information contact Mrs Salerno on 0424 843 200 or Mrs Parker on 0475 881 504.