For one South West, Relay for Life team, the annual fundraising event has become a way to bring work colleagues together and honour those they know who have lost their lives to cancer and to those who are still fighting.
Team House That are looking forward to their third year of fundraising, with the thirteen members having raised almost $20,000 in previous years for the Cancer Council.
Team member Tammi Dods said they had all been personally affected in some way by cancer.
“We had a colleague that passed away, he had been battling cancer unexpectedly and that’s why we started to do it,” she said.
“When you do the walk it’s a good way to remember – we’ve had another colleague that has had to go through some treatments recently too.”
To kick-start their fundraising efforts, the team is holding a movie night at Grand Cinemas on February 8 for the opening night of Fifty Shades Freed with door prizes, bubbly and pizza on offer.
“Any money raised goes straight to the Cancer Council and that helps patients and their families in WA – and it’s a good girls night,” Ms Dods said.
Team member Kirsty Maldon said after doing so well in the first year, the group had decided they would keep going.
“I think it’s really important to do it for the whole community,” she said.
“Especially in the South West, quite a lot of the money gets kept down here with Dots Place and that sort of thing and that helps a lot of families down here because we are so far away from Perth and where the treatments are.”
For Jezann Wilkinson this years Relay for Life will hold extra meaning after her mother was diagnosed with a form of brain cancer six month ago.
“This year will be even more special for me because we are now using the facilities and I can go to Dot’s Place and be supported,” she said.
Setting a target to raise $5,000 each year, the team came first in the corporate challenge in 2016 raising $12,000 and followed it up by coming third overall last year with the aim to raise as much as they can in 2018. For more information visit facebook.com/housethatrelay.