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Adrenal glands glowed like beacons in a dark, uplifting Friday night at the La Trobe University athletics complex where an army of marchers stuck to their task admirably.
Sore, sleep-deprived bodies dragged themselves around the 400-metre track adorned with inspirational messages for the 18th Bendigo Relay for Life.
By Saturday morning, ‘Team Neon’ had collectively walked almost 70 kilometres, or 170 laps.
Team leader Rina Case said the atmosphere on the track kept the melatonin at bay.
“It (atmosphere) is refreshing. Knowing you are doing the walking for a cause gives you a purpose,” she said.
In their second Relay for Life event, Team Neon had raised $3,000 – triple what they drummed up in their first year.
Team Neon participant, Michelle Hall, lost someone close to her in the moths leading up to the event.
“I’m walking because they can’t walk anymore,” she said.
“I’m going to walk, I’m going to live, because they can’t ever do that again.”
About 59 groups collectively raised $120,000 for this year’s event.
Chair of Bendigo Relay for Life, Teresa Jones, said the event was a chance to people to walk, talk, and share their experiences.
“It gives people the opportunity to share their story,” she said.
And while numbers were slightly down on the 2016 event – there were 1000 walkers in 2017 – the numbers of survivors and carers, 300, present on the Friday night pleased Ms Jones.
“Friday night is always a lovely moment for those involved,” she said.
Ms Jones said the event had a focus on raising funds for the “forgotten cancers”.
According to the cancer council, 635 people are diagnosed with the disease in the City of Greater Bendigo every year.
And one in three Victorians will be diagnosed by the age of 75.
In the Bendigo region in 2016, almost 200 enquiries were received through the Cancer Council support line.
And last year, nine Bendigo Relay for Life teams were given research awards for raising more than $5000.