Cancer Society health promotion co-ordinator Diana Power,
of Millers Flat. Photo by Lynda Van Kempen.
Some of the proceeds from the inaugural Central Otago
Relay for Life have been used to employ a health promotion
co-ordinator, who started in the role last week.
Diana Power, of Millers Flat, was the successful applicant
for the new part-time role with the Cancer Society, and she
will cover Central Otago and the Queenstown Lakes district.
The first Central Otago-based Relay for Life was held a year
ago in Cromwell and raised $201,130.
More than 1300 people took part.
The society's Otago and Southland division chief executive,
Wendy Houliston, said it was one way of returning the funds
to the community.
"Staff in Invercargill and Dunedin have been covering the
area up until now, but there are certain advantages in having
a health promotion officer based in Central Otago.
You can respond and be more alert to local needs," she said.
The entire amount raised at the Relay for Life would be used
for the society's support services in the district.
"We'll be learning and looking and listening to what the
community wants," Ms Houliston said.
Mrs Power (45) has a nursing background and lives on a
Millers Flat farm with her husband and three children.
Her role will focus on the society's smokefree campaign, the
Sun Smart programme and encouraging physical activity and
healthy eating.
"Between 30% and 35% of cancer can be preventable and I'll be
providing information on all the lifestyle factors that can
influence whether people develop cancer," she said.
Mrs Power will work with schools, other health agencies and
workplaces to get the message across about being smokefree
and sun smart.
"There's a huge focus on outdoor workers because we've got so
many of them in Central Otago in the viticulture and
horticulture fields and they need to know the facts about
melanoma and the damage the sun can do."
"Also, we have so many outdoor events in this part of the
world, which makes our population really at risk from
melanoma and so many people seem to think that will never
happen to them."
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