CANCER never sleeps, and neither will nearly 200 Point Cook residents when they take part in the suburb’s inaugural Relay for Life fund-raiser this month.
Eighteen teams of about 10-12 participants will hit the track at Featherbrook Oval for 18 hours on November 17-18 to raise money for critical research.
Participant and organiser John Ballestrino, who works at the electorate office of event patron and Altona MP Jill Hennessy, said organisers hoped to raise more than $20,000.
He said candles and brown paper bags would border the track, with heartfelt inscriptions to loved ones who had died from cancer.
“There will be a lot of tear-jerking moments in there, but it’s all about hope, and letting people know they’re not alone,” he said. Mr Ballestrino’s mother died of pancreatic cancer several years ago.
In February his friend and previous employer, former Labor MP Lynne Kosky, was diagnosed with breast cancer and embarked on the toughest fight of her life. “It’s a disease that doesn’t discriminate. It doesn’t matter who you are or what you do,” he said.
Ms Hennessy said Point Cook was over-represented in cancer statistics.
“We want to get people to reflect on how they might reduce their own cancer risk, whether it be by giving up smoking, exercising a bit more or applying sunscreen.”
Point Cook Relay for Life is from 4pm on Saturday, November 17 to 10am the next day. More details: relayforlife.org.au
