With a cold change sweeping over Bendigo, some determined people have braved the autumnal chill and continued to walk laps of Golden Square's Backhaus Oval to show support for those affected by cancer and finding a cure for the disease.

They are among the hundreds of people participating in the 2019 Bendigo Relay For Life, which this year marks its 20^th anniversary.

In its first 19 years, Bendigo raised more than $3.4 million for the Cancer Council, making it one of the longest-running and most successful Relay events in Victoria, behind only Murrumbeena and Geelong.

Relay For Life 2018: Teams to remember loved ones lost and living with cancer

And this year, ahead of the event, Bendigo teams collected more than $90,000, with 37 teams and 375 people registered.

Relay For Life - the largest cancer fundraising event in the world - was founded in the USA by colorectal surgeon Dr. Gordy Klatt.

It came to Australia in 1999 when an event was organised in Murrumbeena, and it was the following year Bendigo took up the cause.

For many, the event is a poignant occasion at which they remember and honour the people they have lost to cancer.

But it also carries a message of hope, with its celebration of survivors and the carers of those with cancer, and fundraising for prevention, research and support programs.

Funds raised through Relay For Life have supported a multitude of initiatives funded by the Cancer Council.

As Bendigo Relay For Life chair Teresa Jones said at Friday's opening ceremony, the donations have supported a counselling helpline, Look Good Feel Better - a program of workshops to help patients manage the appearance-related side-effects of cancer - and the Living With Cancer education program.

Relay For Life 2017: Remembering those lost

Mrs Jones said the money raised from last year's event would help local people access clinical trials, which were an important part of research and gave patients access to new treatments.

Cancer Council Victoria funded a regional trial network to be established by the Border Medical Oncology Research Unit in Albury-Wodonga, she said, that aimed to improve access to high-quality clinical trials in regional areas.

Funding has also supported the Victorian Cancer Trials Link, an online platform that allows patients and clinicians to search for clinical trials in their area.

Relay For Life 2016: Event especially poignant for Bendigo survivor

Mrs Jones, a longtime Relay For Life participant and committee member, first took part at the behest of her daughter.

She was "hooked", she said, and the following year organised a team of workmates from the courts, Team Justice, which had participated in every Relay since.

Mrs Jones said it was important to her that Relay For Life raised money to find a cure for and support people affected by all types of cancer. Half of all Australians will be diagnosed with cancer by the time they turn 85, and it remains a leading cause of death.

But the mortality rate has fallen over the past 30 years by 24 per cent and today 69 per cent of people with cancer are still alive after their diagnosis.

As for why Relay For Life continued to attract strong community support each year, Mrs Jones said it was a case of bringing together people for the same cause.

"It may be that you've lost a family member, or you're a survivor, so sometimes a team will join because they've lost a member, or they'll join because they've got a survivor, or they'll just join because of someone they've heard about," Mrs Jones said.

Relay For Life 2015: Bendigo closes in on $120,000 | Photos

It was also a family-orientated and community-minded event, she said; with so many people returning year after year, they began to feel like family.

Mrs Jones said it also presented an opportunity for people meet others, and share knowledge and give support.

Relay For Life attracts people of all ages and backgrounds, from children up to people in their 90s.

Lynette Cochrane, a member of the Domain Village People, is approaching her 91^st birthday and was due to walk overnight from 12am to 2am.

She, like other team members, have felt the impact of cancer: she lost her son to cancer late last year, and fellow team member Yvonne Lakey's husband died from the disease.

Relay For Life is supported most prominently by those who register and walk, but it attracts help from other quarters, too.

Relay For Life 2014: Walking for life

The Lions Club of Bendigo has donated to Relay for 10 years now, giving more than $23,000 in total to the cause and this time around contributing $3000.

President David Patterson said the club supported the cause because everyone knew someone with cancer or who had experienced the illness.

Mr Patterson said the money was provided to purchase the raffle prizes, so everything the committee raised was profit.

The money also helped the committee cover other incidental costs.

The 2019 Relay For Life, with its carnival theme to celebrate 20 years, began with an opening ceremony at 6.30pm.

As with previous years, this was to be later followed with a lap by survivors and carers and a candlelight ceremony.

Other walkers join in, with some expecting to continue walking throughout the night and into Saturday morning.

Relay For Life 2013: Team keen for a cancer cure

Mrs Jones explained why participating throughout the night was an aspect of Relay For Life that held particular importance.

"It's very significant to walk during the night, because that's when, if you're a cancer patient, that's when your worst time is, really; during the night. It's a very lonely time," Mrs Jones said. "And us as walkers, we can have someone relieve us in an hour, but if you're the person going through the treatment, there's nobody to relieve you.

"Nobody can step in and take over, they just have to keep going."

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