By
Andrew Stackpool
Volume
48, No. 6, April 20, 2006
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FLTLT
Jason Collyer, Deputy Chief AVM John Blackburn and AIRCDRE
Chris Deeble walk the Survivors’ Lap in the Relay for
Life event in Canberra.
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Photo
by AB Neil Richards
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RELAY
for Life is a fun outdoor and overnight fundraising event; where,
across Australia, teams of 10 to 15 people take turns to walk
around a local oval to raise money for cancer.
The event also honours people whose lives have been touched by
cancer, including a candlelight ceremony of hope during the night
and the Survivors’ Lap where cancer survivors walk a lap
of honour.
That is why, overnight April 7-8, thousands of Australians turned
out to support the charity. In their midst were teams of ADF personnel.
In Canberra, DCAF AVM John Blackburn read the Relay for Life oath
on behalf of all participants before joining fellow survivors
FLTLT Jason Collyer and AIRCDRE Chris Deeble on the first lap.
The three then joined the Air Force HQ team to walk through the
night.
The Air Force teams, captained by CPL John Watts and LACW Fiona
O’Shea, were two of several ADF teams which joined about
1200 people and 77 teams at the Australian Institute of Sport.
CPL Watts put an e-mail out and found Air Force could mount two
teams with the responses, while LACW O’Shea asked round her
section for volunteers.
“We had a girl who had participated in the past and she gave
me some names,” she said.
“Some of them said they’d do it again and others who
were new to the area said they’d join us.”
At the end of the relay, the two teams had walked 788 laps (402
and 386) and raised $4575 through a range of fundraising activities,
a raffle and “rattling the boxes”.
“So far the NSW Cancer Council has raised more than $130,000,”
CPL Watts said.
Both captains said the relay had been a great experience.
“It was a tremendous atmosphere and fun,” CPL Watts
said.
LACW O’Shea had initially decided to participate because
it was an ideal fitness opportunity, but was inspired by the event.
“It was very motivating,” she said. “There were
people there from very young to very old. One girl rolled round
her laps and at the end there was one little boy in a toy police
car, complete with siren.
“It was very well run and it was inspiring to see all the
young kids, the elderly and the survivors.”
CPL Watts said money raised by the relays and for cancer research
had helped save his mother’s life after she was operated
on for breast cancer two years ago, but there was another reason
for Air Force to be involved in the relays.
“WGCDR [Angie] Rhodes was the SATCO in Baghdad and she died
of cancer. We didn’t even know she had it. She had done previous
relays, so we did this one for her.”
LACW O’Shea agreed cancer was a personal issue.
“One of our team member’s father died recently of bowel
cancer,” she said. “He was a Reservist and some of our
people had worked with him or knew him.”
CPL Scott and LACW O’Shea are challenging all Air Force members
to become involved in the Relay for Life.
“Get involved. Start a team, join one or even just donate
to your team. It is a great cause and a fun time,” they said.
“You will feel good and know you are doing something to help.”
FLTLT Collyer is starting a cancer support network for Air Force
members. More information will be available in a future edition
of AIR FORCE News.
