Relay for Life - Feature

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ADVERTISING FEATURE JANUARY 2018

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ADVERTISING FEATURE Ashburton Guardian Saturday, January 20, 2018

ADVERTISING FEATURE

What IS RELAY FOR LIFE? Relay For Life is the Cancer Society’s leading community event for people of all ages and fitness levels. At Relay For Life, we celebrate the lives of cancer survivors and carers, remember loved ones we have lost, and fight back by raising funds and cancer awareness.

Teams of ten or more camp out overnight and take part in a walk/run relay while enjoying entertainment and activities.

Because it’s a team event, people taking part may come and go as they like.

But it’s so much fun, you’ll find it hard to leave! Each year, more than 20,000 people take part in Relay For Life events across New Zealand. That’s in addition to four million Relay For Life participants in over 20 countries!

Camp sites, toilets and fresh water are provided. Relay For Life venues are well lit and patrolled by security. All or some of the team may choose to camp overnight.

STEP 2

STEP 1

■■ Start recruiting and preparing your team.

■■ Register your team at www.relayforlife.org.nz

■■ Decide on a team name and theme. Let your imagination run wild!

STEP3 ■■ Start fundraising. Help your team set a fundraising goal. Attend team captain meetings and draw on the support of others to help motivate your team.

For more information please contact the Cancer Society Phone: 03 307 7691 Email: mcrelay@cancercwc.org.nz

Relay For Life is not a race, and there are no rules about how fast to go.

Most people walk, with team members choosing how often, for how long and at what pace. It is common to walk in 30 to 60 minute shifts.

CAMPING OUT

Here’s what you can do:

■■ The Cancer Society will send you a team captain's kit with all the necessary information.

what happens?

WALK OR RUN - IT’S UP TO YOU

ARE YOU READY TO TAKE PART?

RELAY FOR LIFE CEREMONIES

Many moments create the unique Relay For Life experience, and all events have three key ceremonies: Opening Ceremony - Cancer survivors and carers lead the way, walking the first lap of the event. All cancer survivors and carers are welcome whether or not they are part of a team.

Candlelight Ceremony- The Candlelight Ceremony takes place after dark. People taking part light candles inside personally decorated candle bags and place them around the Relay track as glowing tributes to loved ones.

Closing Ceremony - This emotionally powerful ceremony captures the sense of unity among all Relay For Life participants and supporters.

ENTERTAINMENT

Many performers generously donate their services. This includes bands, dance groups and celebrity guests.

HAVE A TEAM THEME

Teams are encouraged to decorate their tent site and have a special team name, theme and banner.

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FUNDRAISING TIPS

Ashburton Guardian

BUILD A TEAM OR BE PART OF A TEAM

After you have setup your supporter page on relay.org.nz you are ready to start fundraising!

Make sure you personalise your page by updating your profile picture and story.

Fundraisers who personalise their page receive on average 20% more donations! By planning your fundraising efforts, you will achieve your fundraising goal with ease. We encourage each team member to raise $200 per person – this is then added to the team total. So let’s get started with your personal plan:

giving them an opportunity to make a positive difference in the community.

The average Relay For Life team has 10+ members.

Think about approaching work colleagues, friends and family to join your team. Ask people with different connections or networks to widen the circle of donations and supporters.

MAKE A LIST

DEVELOP A VISION, PLAN & GOALS

List all the people in your life who are potential donors and organise them by the amount that you think they might be able to give. Don’t leave anybody out as unfortunately, cancer affects everybody in some way. You may be surprised by who donates and how much they give – remember it never hurts to ask.

Support your team by raising funds, possibly attend team catch-ups and take part in any team coordinated fundraisers. Encourage team members to also use their personal supporter pages to fundraise individually. Think of ways to demonstrate your team spirit and raise cancer awareness.

DONATE YOURSELF

CHOOSE YOUR APPROACH

To achieve your goals, share information about Relay For Life and Cancer Society. Explain how the team’s support will help Kiwi’s and their families in the community who are undergoing a cancer journey.

Get the ball rolling and show your commitment by donating to yourself! Set the bar to encourage your donors to match your contribution. On average, fundraisers who make their own donation raise more than those who don’t and receive larger donations from their friends and family. Make as generous a donation as you can to demonstrate your commitment to the cause.

If you are not in a position to donate to yourself, think of someone who you can ask to get you started.

DON’T DELAY

Ask for your first donation today. Asking people for donations may seem difficult or uncomfortable but just remember that you are

Decide what will be the best way to contact each potential donor. The table attached gives suggestions about the best ways to communicate with different donor groups but always go with what you think would be most successful. When in doubt always lean towards the most personal method.

MAKE TIME

Make a plan for when you are going to contact each donor/group of donors and keep track of who has responded. Remember that people are busy. Just because they might not donate straight away does not mean they do not want or plan to. Set a date for when you are going to follow up with those who have not responded.

MOTIVATE YOUR TEAM

COMMUNICATE REGULARLY

Keep track of your progress and celebrate your successes. Share Cancer Society information. Spread the word with friends and family, social media is a great place to start.

RESOURCE AND PACE YOURSELF

Attend meetings – keep an eye out for the dates and times as these will be advised via social media and email.

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ADVERTISING FEATURE Ashburton Guardian Saturday, January 20, 2018

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CELEBRATING LIFE’S MILESTONES, LARGE AND SMALL When she steps out in this year’s Relay for Life, the cancer fundraiser will have an added significance for Hinds woman Libby Taylor who is on her own cancer journey.

Reporter Sue Newman talks with Libby about living with a life-changing disease.

Richard and Libby Taylor and their four daughters live a life without boundaries.

Like any other family they celebrate milestones and achievements big and small and to the rest of the world they’re just like any other Kiwi farming family.

Life with four children and two dairy herds to milk means there’s not a lot of spare time, but the Taylor family knows the value of seizing the moment, enjoying life’s simple pleasures and making time for one another.

There’s love, laughter and plenty of joy in the Taylor household, but there’s also an unwanted guest. Cancer. It arrived in November 2015, left six months later, but made an unwelcome return last October.

Cancer is now part of the Taylor family’s world, but they’re refusing to let it define who they are and what they do. The disease might live in Libby’s body, it might lurk in the corners of each family member’s mind, but Richard, Libby, Islabelle, Ruby, Tilly and Maggie-May are getting on with life, looking to the future and doing the everyday, normal things that any other family does.

They’re not measuring their lives in months and years. Yes, Libby knows her life will be shorter than it might have been, but that’s the future, not the now.

The 34-year-old’s cancer journey began while her baby was just five months old.

“When I first found the lump I was still breast feeding Maggie-May and thought it was hormonal, but it didn’t feel right.

I found the lump on Saturday morning,

talked to Richard about it and went to the doctor on Monday,” she said.

From that point her life started spinning on a different axis.

“I went straight into the breast care centre in Christchurch and from there it was an ultra-sound, then biopsy. I’ll never forget those days. It was horrific, but at the time my surgeon reassured me they’d get rid of it so you never think it will come back anywhere else.”

After her mastectomy Libby was told she’d had two tumours, the one she felt and a second deep in her breast, against her chest wall, but the outlook was positive and she started a course of chemotherapy that would run for six months.

A reconstruction followed she was ready to get back on with living life, playing netball, running and raising her family. The 2017 Torpedo Spring Challenge was held in Geraldine and Libby and two friends entered and trained hard.

But ahead of the race Libby started to feel pain in her ribs. She put it down to over-zealous training or discomfort from her breast reconstruction and went to her doctor for some pain relief.

She was told the pain was coming from an enlarged liver and that she shouldn’t take part in the race. She ignored that advice and went on to complete the event.

“For me that was a massive accomplishment because I really knew that something was wrong. On the Monday I had a CT scan and then I was hit with it, the cancer had come back. I was told it was in my liver.”

The family headed to the North Island for a holiday but Libby’s pain continued and she ended up in a doctor’s surgery.

“She asked me if I’d seen the report from my scan and I said no. Then she told me it was in my lungs, my spleen and my bones.”

Looking back she’s glad the bad news was delivered in two doses. In one it would have been too much to deal with.

That was October and since then Libby has been on an oral chemo regime, two weeks on, one week off.

That’s spared her the side effects of intravenous treatment.

“It all looked pretty grim and I was told that my life was shortened, but I said I didn’t want to talk in time. I’ve never asked how long do I have.”

Living life to the full – Richard and Libby Taylor and their daughters (from left) Islabelle, 9, Tilly, 5,

For her it’s about getting on with living rather than measuring the length of the living. After nine weeks of chemo, Libby had another scan and received the ultimate Christmas present, her tumours

had all shrunk by 50 per cent. That was a huge cause for celebration.

She’s continuing with chemo, mixing this routine with vitamin C infusions.

Her New Brighton doctor is waiting to

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Maggie-May, 2 1/2, and Ruby, 7.

PHOTO SUE NEWMAN 110118-SN-15

send samples of her tumour to Germany to be tested so he can understand what feeds its growth and therefore what will work with her body to find the appropriate natural products to kill it.

The mixture of traditional and alternative treatments seems to be working.

“Our oncologist is the sensible one and then we have John with different ideas that he believes will work, so we’re defi-

nitely open to anything and everything that will help.” Over the past months the Taylor family has been surrounded by a supportive community. Libby’s parents moved down from the North Island to help out, friends set up a food roster so there was always a hot meal at the end of the day and there’s been company, support and friendship at every turn.

Yes, it’s changed how Libby lives her life. Every moment, every day is very special.

“Even when I was first diagnosed I didn’t dwell on it, I still played netball. It’s just shit that it’s come back.”

To make sure her four daughters know if they are high risk for breast cancer, Libby has undergone genetic testing.

She’s still waiting for the results, but said she’s the first in her family to have the disease.

“If it’s positive, it’ll just make us so much more aware.”

While her body is battling cancer she’s also dealing with the emotional side of the impact of the disease. Taking a positive approach to every day, celebrating every moment and sharing the ups and downs of life with friends and family are all part of her disease-fighting tool kit.

“I don’t think there’s a weekend we spend by ourselves, we’re always surrounded by friends and family. Too much time on your own is not good,” she said.

In the months since her cancer returned, Libby has refused to sit back and take life easy. She’s taken part in fund raising cancer walks and events, has held a Pink Ribbon breakfast and got on with the business of being a mum of four.

She bikes, walks most days and with her family celebrates all of life’s little moments.

“And yes, I’ll still have a glass of wine to celebrate things like good scan results.”

With her friends she’s taking part in this year’s Relay for Life.

Team S.W.A.T.T. – sprinters, walkers and trash talkers has been sponsored by Hydraulink. Her four girls are also sporting new Relay for Life t-shirts, ready for the event.

Their fundraising events will be a cricket match between Hinds and Longbeach on Waitangi Day and a squash tournament later in the month, plus the fundraising bucket will be passed around.

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HOW RELAY FOR LIFE BEGAN Relay For Life began in 1985, when Dr Gordy Klatt of Tacoma, Washington organised a 24-hour walk/ run in recognition of all those affected by cancer.

He asked friends and family to walk or run with him and make a donation to the American Cancer Society. A year later, 19 teams took part.

Since then, Relay For Life has become a global movement, uniting over 20 cancer organisations and 6,000 communities worldwide. New Zealand’s first relay started in 2001 in Manawatu

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ADVERTISING FEATURE Ashburton Guardian Saturday, January 20, 2018

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Grateful to be able to smell the roses When Ron Cresswell walks the survivor lap at this year’s Relay for Life he’ll be celebrating his second chance at life. He talks to reporter Sue Newman about the accident that led to finding a sarcoma buried deep in his thigh and the traumatic months of uncertainty, surgery and recovery that followed.

When Ron Cresswell walked into the corner of a metal bench in his workshop he cursed his carelessness, rubbed the sore spot on his thigh and went on working.

A few days later he noticed a lump, but dismissed it as the result of his brush with the workbench.

Life carried on, Ron spent his days teaching at Ashburton College, carried on with his leisure activities. The lump on his thigh remained.

A few weeks later during a doctor’s visit for an unrelated issue, Ron mentioned the lump “Just to put my mind at rest I asked him to take a look,” he said.

Like Ron, his doctor was not concerned.

He measured the lump and suggested Ron kept an eye on it in case it grew.

“I watched and watched and thought it had, then thought it hadn’t, and then went back. That was like launching a flare.

Malcolm (Wootton) got into gear. The following day I had an appointment with a specialist and a CT scan.”

Ron and wife Angela were plunged into a new world, one of uncertainty, a world where the word cancer lurked in the wings.

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Cancer survivor Ron Cresswell, ticking off the days until he’s off the couch and back in the classroom at Ashburton College.

PHOTO SUE NEWMAN 120118-SN-02

“For the first two or three weeks they weren’t sure what I had. You come home with this big black cloud. When I had the CT scan they said they weren’t sure, then I had an MRI and a fine-needle biopsy and they said they wouldn’t know until all the results were there,” Ron said.

The only thing his specialist would tell him was that he was pretty concerned.

“The worst case scenario at that point in time, he said, was that it’s in your thigh but it could have sent its friends into other places. If it has, it’s not good.”

That was the black cloud that Ron and Angela towed behind them for several days. They told their daughters and talked about a future that, at that point, could have been very short.

“That was the hardest part of the whole time, we planned a funeral. Those weeks seemed like forever, but once they said my lungs and liver were clear I could relax.”

Yes, Ron had a high grade sarcoma in his thigh muscle, but the cancer was

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confined. It had not spread.

That news was the equivalent of being handed back his life, but he was unaware that in many ways, the worst was yet to come.

Post operation, he started a course of daily radiation that would eventually compromise the healing process.

“I didn’t have cancer anymore, I just had this big hole in my leg, big enough to put your fist in,” he said.

The major bonus was that the area was sensation free and that meant it might be ugly but there was no pain.

“The most painful part was having the dressings pulled off the hairs on my leg.”

Those dressings had to be changed three times a week – a 40-minute undertaking – for almost two years as his body struggled to heal the gaping wound.

During that time he also spent time over an eight week period in a hyperbaric chamber, breathing pure oxygen in an effort to stimulate the healing process.

Ron and Angela were determined to

remain positive about the future.

“Once you’ve got your head around it you just have to deal with it. I knew I had no control over the cancer but I could control depression. Yes, over the two years there have been moments when you ask why, but that’s just for a couple of minutes and then you look at what you have in life.”

In December, Ron was finally able to have surgery to close the hole in his leg.

It’s still far from perfect, but he’s now looking at smaller dressings and a smaller drain. How long the drain will remain in place and how long it will take for the wound to heal completely is unknown, but the healing process is moving forward – slowly.

“The whole thing has been pretty unusual all the way though. The surgeon told me that a lot of GPs would go through their whole career and not see anything like this.”

Yes, the past two years have been tough at times, but there has always been a huge

PROUDLY SUPPORTING RELAY FOR LIFE CONTACT

T: 03 307 6355 E: ashburton@kpmg.co.nz

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USEFUL INFO support team around Ron. “The unsung hero in all of this is my main carer, Angela. She’s had to field constant inquiries, she’s been a bloody legend.”

Ron will always walk with a limp, his left leg might be pitted and scarred, but his six-monthly x-rays continue to deliver good news and he knows he’s been given his life back. He’ll never be able to ride a horse or a motor bike and he’s more likely to take a tumble because of his gamy leg, but they’re all small prices to pay, he said.

“It really hasn’t stopped me doing much at all. I’m still singing and I’ll be doing 42 gigs between the beginning of February and the end of April.”

Over those two years, Ron said the health system had never once failed to deliver. ”I saw the New Zealand health service in action. This has to be the best in the world, it’s been a royal service,” he said.

As a result of his brush with cancer he’s made a few changes in life.

“I listen to Angela more, I take

guidance from her more readily, I’m less inclined to push through when it’s really killing me. If my leg is tired I’ll stop and I’m less likely to go at something like a bull at a gate. If I do get it wrong, it doesn’t just affect me, Angela and the kids at college pay the price.”

Throughout his surgery and over the months of recovery, Ron said he had been overwhelmed by the support that had come from friends, the community and the Cancer Society. Strangers and members of his choir drove him to regular appointments in Christchurch, and his fellow teachers at Ashburton College were endlessly supportive.

“Out of the whole thing you’d never say I’m pleased I had it, but when I look at what it’s allowed Angela and me to do in terms of human relationships, you couldn’t get anything more powerful.”

Today Ron says he has a deep appreciation of small pleasures and carries the belief that it’s good to talk about cancer; doing so just might help someone who is new to the ‘club’, he said.

DON’T RUSH ...

IT’S NOT A RACE

Relay For Life is not a race, nor do you collect pledges based on the number of laps you walk. All fundraising is done before the event.

people will walk, with each team member choosing how often, how long and at what pace. It is common to walk in 30 to 60 minute shifts. Many find it more enjoyable to walk in pairs, it is totally flexible do what suites your team.

THEME YOUR TEAM

GET SUPERVISED

Make it a super event to remember. Be bold, bright and fun.

PACE YOURSELF and PASS THE BATON!

Share the load with your team mates, don’t forget that at least one person from your team should be on the track for the duration of the relay. Most

For high schools, please feel free to contact us with regards consent information and supervision expectations.

WE’RE HERE TO HELP

The Relay For Life support team are here to assist you and your team so please feel free to contact us if you have any questions!

Ashburton Guardian pleased to support Relay for Life 2018

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ADVERTISING FEATURE Ashburton Guardian Saturday, January 20, 2018

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QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS Mandy Casey POSITION AT THE CANCER SOCIETY Health Promoter .

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN WORKING AT THE CANCER SOCIETY Seven years.

WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO GET INVOLVED WITH THE CANCER SOCIETY?

With my nursing background, I have always had an interest in the health and the wellbeing of our community. When the opportunity arose to work as a health promoter, I knew that it was a role that I would be passionate about.

“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”, is a saying that sums up my role. It means we all need to make changes, to live life more healthily, being smoke free, limiting alcohol, being sun smart, exercising regularly and eating a healthy diet.

WHAT’S THE MOST REWARDING PART OF YOUR JOB?

Health promotion is the process of enabling people to increase control over, and to improve, their health.

Its great being part of a team that works towards supporting com-

munity outcomes in health and wellbeing, increasing smoke free environments to reduce personal and social harm. Working with schools and promoting sun smart behaviours. New Zealand has the highest rates of skin cancer and melanoma in the world, it is important our children learn skills to protect themselves from UV radiation.

REGARDING RELY FOR LIFE, WHAT’S YOUR MOTIVATION?

Bringing people together. We all know someone who has been impacted by cancer, the pain and devastation that comes with a diagnosis and how it affects their family and friends. It’s a time to come together and fight back, think about how we can change our lives and environments that support health and wellbeing, to lead a healthier lifestyle with our families, children and grandchildren.

WHAT WILL BE THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE FOR YOU IN RELAY FOR LIFE?

The weather! We just need a beautiful weekend! No rain , no howling nor west!

SHARON ROBINSON POSITION AT THE CANCER SOCIETY Administrator.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN WORKING AT THE CANCER SOCIETY Three years.

WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO GET INVOLVED WITH THE CANCER SOCIETY?

My dad was first diagnosed with bowel cancer when he was 50 and then 13 years later with oesophageal cancer. The effect cancer had on Dad and our family turned our world upside down. During this time the support Dad received from Annie and the Cancer Society made a real difference.

When the administrator position was advertised I knew that this was an opportunity to give back and be part of an organisation that is so important.

WHAT’S THE MOST REWARDING PART OF YOUR JOB? I truly admire our amazing volunteers, who give of themselves so selflessly. The opportunity to work with them is easily one of the most rewarding parts of my job.

But I can honestly say that the best moments happen all the time, hearing

ANNIE BONIFANT POSITION AT THE CANCER SOCIETY Centre Manager and Support Services.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN WORKING AT THE CANCER SOCIETY 11 years.

WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO GET INVOLVED WITH THE CANCER SOCIETY?

The Cancer Society’s Supportive Services role fit with my professional background of acute oncology nursing and palliative care.

Although no longer a practicing registered nurse I have always had an interest in cancer care, treatment and research.

My support services role enables me to help people with a cancer diagnoses and their families navigate their cancer journey by providing practical and emotional support in what is an incredibly stressful time in their lives.

WHAT’S THE MOST REWARDING PART OF YOUR JOB?

The entire role is very rewarding, it is an absolute privilege to be part of someone’s cancer journey.

If we can just help relieve some of the burden and stress that a cancer diagnosis brings, no matter the outcome it is all worthwhile.

I also want to say how rewarding it is to work alongside our won-

laughter at our Daffodil Support Group lunches, sharing the happiness when good news is received, witnessing the exceptional generosity from people in our community. Knowing that we have made life slightly easier for the people and families we support is definitely the best reward.

REGARDING RELY FOR LIFE, WHAT’S YOUR MOTIVATION?

It is a privilege to be part of the Relay For Life event, the money raised really does make a difference for people in our community, it is true that with your help there is hope.

WHAT WILL BE THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE FOR YOU IN RELAY FOR LIFE?

The Candlelight ceremony is so beautiful but it is also very emotional remembering those we have lost. I know this time will be particularly hard remembering my Dad as he was with us at the last Relay.

The best part of Relay For Life is the opportunity to be with friends and family in that space, remembering loved ones, celebrating survivors and coming together as a community to fight back against cancer.

derful volunteers, who give so freely of their time and energy without which we could not achieve half of what we do.

The generosity and assistance given to us by our community is not only humbling, but every day we are touched and amazed by the caring support shown to us.

I feel honored to be part of this team and community.

REGARDING RELY FOR LIFE, WHAT’S YOUR MOTIVATION?

My motivation is summed up by Relay’s three main themes; the opportunity to celebrate survivors, remember those we have lost and fight back by using money raised to fund research, provide resources and information and much needed practical support in our community.

Relay is a fantastic fundraiser but it is so much more than that.

It is about community coming together to honor those touched by cancer.

WHAT WILL BE THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE FOR YOU IN RELAY FOR LIFE?

One of the biggest challenges is time management, leading up to the event there are not enough hours in the day and the event itself is 18 hours of full on fun and activity.

The chance to catch up with so many people and see them celebrating, remembering and fighting back makes it all worthwhile.

Karen McRae POSITION AT THE RELAY FOR LIFE COMMITTEE

Team Recruitment.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN INVOLVED WITH RELAY FOR LIFE? 2011 - this is my third Relay I’ve been involved in.

WHAT’S YOUR MOTIVATION?

Nearly 14 years ago my Dad lost his battle with cancer so when Annie and Mandy asked if I would become involved in Relay For Life I jumped at the chance to be involved in such a worthwhile community event.

WHAT’S THE MOST REWARDING PART OF BEING INVOLVED? Watching the Ashburton

community come together during the event. To see the survivors walk the first lap, the candlelight ceremony and also at the end when everyone is gathered around and the grand total raised is revealed. The Ashburton community are so generous - it’s just amazing.

WHAT WILL BE THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE FOR YOU IN RELAY FOR LIFE?

Trying to get at least 50 plus teams involved – we’re at 30 now. Still time to register!