By Alesha Capone
A family ran 120 laps of their backyard to raise funds for the Cancer Council Victoria, following the cancellation of this year’s Wyndham Relay for Life.
The Relay’s committee made the tough decision to cancel the September event amid concerns about Covid-19 still being prevalent in the community.
Mother Lauren said she and her family had been planning to take part in the Relay in a team of community members from the Crossroads Uniting Church in Werribee.
However, after the event’s cancellation, Lauren said her family, including children Harry, aged four, and Mayer, aged one, decided to spend the weekend running laps of their back garden raise funds instead.
The family documented their efforts on social media and took suggestions for ‘novelty’ laps including an egg and spoons round, raising a total of $1420 for the Cancer Council Victoria.
Lauren said that she wanted to teach Harry “a little bit about the good things we can do for other people even though we are in lockdown”.
“Harry started the relay thinking it was good fun playing in the backyard and doing silly laps,” she said.
“By the end of it, he started to understand about why people were donating money through all the encouraging phone calls and messages.”
Harry said he was “very surprised” by the amount his family raised for the Cancer Council Victoria.
“But that’s good because we can help more people and make the world nice,” he said.
Another member of the Crossroads Uniting Church, Roland Geilen, raised $3849 by shaving off his beard.
The Wyndham Relay for Life is hoping to hold its next event in March 2022.
