Lorraine Havard is a lifelong Wyndham resident and long-time Relay for Life supporter. The 70-year-old retiree, who moved from Werribee to Little River five years ago, keeps herself busy with exercise, travel and her grandchildren. She tells Charlene Macaulay the full story.
How long have you lived in Little River?
I’ve been here for five years. Otherwise, I lived in Werribee all my life.
I sold the family home after 12 years of being solo … we had the big family chat … I’ve got my little cottage here and my son’s over there [next door]. I love the peace and I love animals. I’ve always been a bit of a country bumpkin, so the tranquility and the animals are just my cup of tea.
I imagine it’s similar to when you grew up in Werribee?
Yes, it was very small. Werribee’s very big now and busy.
Tell me how the Relay for Life team, Cactus Moon Prickles, was born.
My husband and my brother died of cancer … my friend Cynthia Reynoldson, she does line dancing, her dad had died from cancer, too. Relay for Life was all in the papers and it was really intriguing to us. With her Cactus Moon Line Dancing Club and our passion, we thought we could get something happening. That was 16 years ago.
We sold chocolates, we did raffles, sausage sizzles, trivia nights, bus trips – and we’ve raised about $65,000 over that time. And that was with no corporate help. We did it all by ourselves, this group of little ladies.
What’s kept the team going for 16 years?
Just the passion. As long as I can, I’ll do something. Everyone is affected by cancer. You’re talking two or three people in each family now who are battling this terrible thing, cancer. That whole event is a healing place.
Whether you walk at one o’clock in the morning or three o’clock in the morning, there’s always someone to chat to and the family get involved.
The last two years we’ve partnered up with Bright Sparks (another Relay for Life team) because they were our neighbours for all the time we’ve been doing Relay for Life. They were struggling with fundraising to provide the tent, so we joined up and became friends.
This is the first year that you won’t be running your own team at the event. Why is that?
We’re starting to get on, but we’re still fundraising. This year, when we did the tin rattle at the intersections, two of us raised more than $400. We don’t care which team the money goes to – it all helps in the fight against cancer.
