Lismore and Villages Relay For Life 2026 is just over four weeks away, 31 days away to be exact. The Cancer Council and the Lismore organising committee are looking for people and teams to walk together on Saturday, March 21, to raise vital money for cancer research, prevention and support services.

Former mayor of Lismore, Jenny Dowell, was a participant in Lismore's inaugural Relay For Life twenty-five years ago and has a desire to participate in the first event for seven years, in whatever capacity she can.

"I participated in the first one, in memory of a very close friend who had died from cancer. I joined just as an individual."

In those early days, Relay For Life was held every year, before moving to every two years. They were overnight events that began at 3pm and finished at 9am the following day.

In 2018, Jenny joined the committee and became the Survivors and Carers Coordinator, looking after the registration for people who have survived cancer and their carers. Jenny herself was a breast cancer survivor, diagnosed in 2008.

(Jenny and Ron Dowell)

COVID-19 put an end to Relay For Life in 2021. and the event has been on hold since. That is, until a couple of people with close ties to the Lismore event passed away.

"We wanted to hold an event that remembered them," Jenny said, "And we don't know whether Relay For Life will continue, but we wanted to do this one to mark 25 years of Relay For Life.

"I am again, the Survivors and Carers Coordinator, with the help of the fabulous canteen manager from the Lismore High campus of the Rivers Secondary College. She's doing most of the work now, but we already have all the vouchers and all the gift cards from local supermarkets to buy all the ingredients that the high school students use to make the homemade afternoon tea."

Thanks to generous donations and local businesses supplying products, like Lismore Embroidery, who are supplying sashes for people who are living with cancer, but know it will take their life.

"They've got Stage 4 cancer, and that's me, actually. I'll be wearing a 'Living with Cancer' sash this time. That's unique to our relay. No other relay is using that, but it came as a special request from someone who died after the 2020 relay, who didn't feel that the relay represented her."

The 2026 Relay For Life is still being held at the sporting fields at Southern Cross University, next to the gym and pool. It starts at 1pm and finishes at 9pm, so up to 8-hours of walking around the oval.

"The first lap of the sports field is walked by survivors, carers, and those living with cancer, and everyone else stands on the sidelines."

Jenny hopes she can complete the first lap. "I hope so. I'm doing as much of that lap as I can. It will definitely be with a stick. If by that stage I'm in a wheelchair, I will do it that way. I've got a close friend who is in a very similar situation to me, and we will walk and support each other."

While there are 8 hours of walking scheduled, you can walk as many laps as you would like to do. "There's no winners and no ones counting how many laps you do. It's just walking and reflecting," Jenny added.

"And then there's the entertainment. We've got live music, and we've got an MC. We've got Miss Relay, which is when a male from each team dresses up as a woman and goes off down the pubs and clubs of Lismore and collects donations and comes back. The fabulous Rubella is hosting that part.

"During the afternoon and evening, people are encouraged to buy a candle in a bag, not a real candle, but a light in a bag with a bit of sand in it, and we line the track with those bags, then we light those candles and turn off the lights, and that's a walk in silence, where we remember people we've lost."

"There's also a ceremony where we look to the future and a cancer-free world."

The goal for 2026 is to raise $60,000. As this story is written, the tally sits at $12,717. You can add to that tally via a donation, click here, or as a participant, click here. It is $25 per adult, $15 for ages 8 to 17, and a family of 2 adults and 2 kids $60. Children 0 to 7 and Survivor/Carer lap only are free.

"The money that's raised goes to the things that help people locally, like driving people from outlying areas into Lismore and home for treatment, or financial help, counselling and legal advice and the things that make a difference locally. And then, of course, the important money that goes to research, so that we can make a difference and find ways to prevent or cure varying kinds of cancers. Some of them are easy to deal with. We've already made huge inroads for things like cervical cancer and the breast cancer survival rate is incredibly high.

"But some of the tough ones, like pancreatic cancer, or cancers of the brain, still need a lot of work. We can't always be an ambulance at the bottom of the cliff, just helping people when they're diagnosed. We have to have someone at the top of the cliff trying to find out why people get it, what the risk factors are, what the preventative factors are, whether there's a vaccine, and whether there's more effective treatment. So we've got to be at both ends, if you like."

There will also be a raffle with donated prizes. 1st prize is $2000 of fuel, plus a weekend getaway at the Ramada, and other local prizes generously donated. "We're already selling those raffle tickets; people can buy them online," Jenny said.

There will be catering available in the way of food and coffee vans, and the Lions Club will have their BBQ cooking the popular sausage sandwich.

"We're looking forward to a beautiful event. For me personally, my reason for participating in Relay For Life has obviously changed. It's a wonderful committee of volunteers, and I look forward to being part of the day as much as I am able on the day." 

Relay For Life is on Saturday, March 21, at the Southern Cross University sports field, with plenty of parking available. The walk gets underway at 1pm and finishes at 8pm.