grove news
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www.oceangrovevoice.com
Harriers relay for life PHIL Emery has lived in Ocean Grove since the late 1980s and has been involved in the Bellarine Relay for Life since its initiation in Ocean Grove in 2011, writes Stephanie Naylor. “A friend of mine and former Ocean Grove Harrier, Leigh Norquay, asked me if I would be interested in attending an information evening about the possibility of starting a Relay for Life event here in Ocean Grove. It all sounded like such a worthwhile cause and the event itself would encourage wide community involvement. At our next Saturday morning run, I asked the Harriers if they would like to enter a team and they were immediately right behind the idea, but sadly we could only enter our ‘B’ team as our ‘A’ team has commitments elsewhere at this time of year,” Phil told the Voice. Like most people, Phil has experienced the many sufferings of family, friends and work colleagues battling cancer. “So far I have been lucky, but no one knows when it might strike and you can’t always expect that just being fit and healthy will protect you, look at Tommy Hafey for example. Some of our team members have suffered from cancer themselves, whilst all of our team have direct experience
with family or close friends who have had cancer,” Phil explained. Ocean Grove Harriers make up this Relay for Life team, with family members also joining in. “Mostly our relay team are well known to each other through their involvement with the Harriers, which have been active for 30 years this year.” In 2011 and 2012, the Ocean Grove Harriers ‘B’ Team raised well over the $5000 amount necessary to be able to choose which cancer research they wished to support. “We are not as well organised as some of the best fundraising teams but we are always there each year and it all helps. Outside of this event, money plays no part in the Harriers, we don’t even have any membership fees or accounts, nor do we have a premise to operate from apart from our ‘clubrooms’ at the foreshore toilets and change rooms,” Phil said. Each year, the relay team has around 26 Harriers in the ‘B’ team so they can run nonstop for the 24 hours. “We also have additional team members who walk, but our baton is always with the running Harriers, after all, that’s what Harriers do, they run, even 60-years-oldplus, quite slow Harriers like me. We absolutely
appreciate that the Relay for Life is not about running fast or winning the most laps prize, but we do set ourselves to complete as many laps as we can in the 24 hours as a team goal. We certainly acknowledge and support the primary aim of fundraising for cancer research and the many other community benefits that this event generates. It would be great to have our ‘A’ team though,” Phil explained. This year, the team hopes to have 25 to 30 members again and traise well over $5000 so they can choose their preferred cancer research. “In the past we have chosen to direct our funds to the very deadly yet less publicly supported cancers like liver and pancreatic cancer,” Phil said. “It’s great to see so many people from different parts of our community getting involved with more teams and more money being raised each year for cancer research. Individually and collectively, life is much more meaningful and rewarding when people get involved in things that are genuinely worthwhile like Relay for Life,” Phil added. The Relay for Life will be held at Collendina Recreation Reserve on November 8 and 9.
Harrier Andy Sattler with junior Harrier Josh Hunt in the Harriers 'B' team tent.
The team from Jumpt.
Phil Emery and Ann Sing take refuge in the Harriers 'B' team tent.