Waranga Memorial Hospital Relay for Life 2006

The Waranga Memorial Hospital 2006 Relay for Life team have done it!

Saturday may have been sunny but there was a blustery cold wind blowing - and the cold only worsened as the start time for the 2006 Relay for Life Walk to fight cancer got closer.

After the opening ceremony, cancer survivors with their carers walked the first lap to the encouragement of all the teams which would have their members continue the walk until midday on Sunday.

At 8 pm the candlelight ceremony took place with teams placing candles in front of their team tent to remember those who had lost the fight and those who were still fighting cancer.

As the night wore on, members of the Hospital team who were rostered to walk for an hour or two donned more jackets and winter clothes to battle the cold wind. It wasn't until an hour or two after sunrise that jackets and gloves could be removed and by ten o'clock or so the weather was warming up, perfect for shorts and t-shirt.

The team raised over $4,000 this year so thanks to those who supported the movie night, trivia quiz, the raffles and made a donation. Overall the Shepparton Relay for Life this year raised $285,000 and the event over the past few years has raised well over $1,000,000 for cancer research in Victoria.

Some of the team at the opening ceremony at 6 pm on the Saturday evening.

The 2006 Relay for Life walk starts today and the Waranga Memorial Hospital team, the Guardian Angels, are set to go.

The opening ceremony is at 6 pm (Sat, Oct 21) and the team will have team members walking until midday Sun Oct 22.

The ceremony at 6 pm begins with the reading of the Relay for Life oath.

Then the first lap of the walk honours survivors of cancer (adorned with a red sash) who take to the track with their carers (wearing a green sash).

The candlelight ceremony follows. Candle tribute bags are placed along the edge of the track inscribed with personal messages and the candles continue to burn throughout the night to inspire the walkers.

The team is making final preparation for the weekend's walk - fitness levels are  just right, the roster is full so there'll be walkers for the whole 18 hours, the weather looks like it'll be more than pleasant for a couple of hours of walking by all team members, there's a tent or two just in case, sleeping bags have been taken down from the top of cupboards for those who'll be staying at Princes Park for the duration, team t-shirts have been screen-printed, and there are plenty of wings for the Guardian Angels.

Away we go!

The following is the article published concerning the team's trivia night on Friday September 8:

Relay for Life Trivia Night on September 8

The next major fund-raising event to be held by the Waranga Memorial Hospital Relay for Life team will be a trivia night on Friday September 8 at St. Mary's Hall at 7.30 pm.

The Hospital team is entered in the Shepparton event to be held from 6 pm on Saturday October 21 to midday on Sunday October 22. Currently the team has more than thirty members so it won't be difficult to rotate different people to walk for the eighteen hours. As well some volunteers from Rushworth Community House want to take part.

Last year the event in Shepparton raised $335,000 from the 110 teams who participated. All this money is collected a week before the event so it's “real” money that goes towards research to find cures for cancer victims.

So make a contribution to the fight against cancer by supporting the Waranga Memorial Hospital's Relay for Life trivia night on September 8.

Tickets cost $10 per adult, $5 per child. Make up a table of eight and let the Hospital know on 5856 1501. Last year's winning table, Rushworth Community House, are gearing up again with a strong team so don't allow them successive championship status.

Last night (Wednesday, August 23) there was a good turn up at the first major fund raising effort by the Waranga Memorial Hospital Relay for Life team.

Perhaps some people were hesitant to go out because there was some much-needed rain (about 7 mm fell in Rushworth according to an informed source).

Everybody certainly enjoyed Dead Man's Chest and the supper that was available at the interval and at the end of the night.

Lots of tickets were sold in the raffles - a trailer load of wood and a fruit bowl. Ticket in both these raffles will again be sold at the Trivia Night on Friday September 8 (haven't got your table yet? Organise a group of eight and try to make sure the Rushworth Community House team don't win successive nights).

Thanks to Ken and his team for the special showing of Pirates of the Caribbean - Dead Man's Chest at the Rushworth Shire Hall.