Morwell shop fronts have turned all shades of purple this week to promote Latrobe Valley’s annual Relay for Life.
With traders running purple-themed specials and decorating their stores to align with the theme, Relay for Life organiser Sue Van Heurck hopes October’s relay will be the best-attended relay yet.
“Last year we had 1000 people and we had 50 teams, but we’re hoping to do the same or a bit better this year,” Ms Van Heurck said.
While the relay requires at least one team member to be walking the track at all times, she said the event was much more than a relay.
“It’s a celebration, it’s fun and it’s exciting and there’s lots of things happening all the time,” Ms Van Heurck said.
“It’s a time for people to remember, people who they have lost to cancer, it’s a time to celebrate the life and the survival of so many people who have beaten or are living with cancer. At dusk we have a candlelight ceremony and that’s a very reflective time where we take time to think about the past, present and the future and light candles for those three times of life.”
Ms Van Heurck said with more people surviving cancer each year, research and fundraising efforts were now more important than ever.
Entry is still open for teams to join the event which will be held at Gaskin Park, Churchill from 18 to 19 October. To join the Latrobe Valley Relay For Life event, phone 1300 65 65 85 or visit
www.relayforlife.org.au
