Standing or sitting at Beaton Park on Saturday night were many people paying a special tribute to loved ones lost.
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A cold wind was whipping through the Kerryn McCann Athletics Centre, but few really seemed to mind as the special service as part of Relay for Life got underway.
It is hard not to watch the hope ceremony at the Relay for Life and not be moved to tears. As night falls, the relay participants gather for the special ceremony.
Speakers grace the stage to share their stories and mark the occasion, but the special moment truly comes as people light their candles in honour of the ones they have lost, the ones for which they are walking. Images of many of these people are shared on the big screen beside the stage.
Relay for Life provides a wonderful avenue for people to remember the loved ones they have lost through cancer.
Also, it allows for the community to come together and raise much needed funds for the Cancer Council of Australia.
Proceeds from this year’s Relay for Life, which were expected to top $100,000, will go towards upgrades at Wollongong’s Alkira Lodge, which provides a home away from home for cancer patients and their carers who need to travel to Wollongong for their treatment.
Previous relays have allowed renovations to the exterior of the lodge plus a new bathroom and an office.
What was clear though on the weekend was, now in its 18th year, the Wollongong Relay for Life was probably due for some sort of change and a fresh approach.
Cancer Council NSW Southern Region community lead Grant Plecas indicated as much after the event, adding the community would be consulted on such a proposal.
“We’ll definitely make some changes; if it’s not the venue, it’ll be how we how have it set it up and run it,” he said.
“We want to innovate to make sure we keep going for many more years yet.”
The Relay for Life will continue to be an important community event, but perhaps it is time to have a look how it has been done in the past and see what would work best for the future.