The community-based Relay Your Way event, launched in place of the festival-style Relay for Life, has been running throughout March and has so far raised $60,000 for the Cancer Society’s Otago-Southland branch.
Among those to step up in support of Relay Your Way have been this year’s Relay for Life ambassadors Nicki Swift and Natalie Yeoman.
Mrs Yeoman and her husband Selwyn hosted an event for friends and family earlier this month, participants taking on a 3km walk up Pine Hill from their home.
About 65 people took part, from small children and teenagers, up to people in their 80s.
"What a day we had, a stunning perfect Dunedin day, and a great turnout of bodies of all ages and stages," Mrs Yeoman said.
"I was stoked to have family taking part, and I was pretty happy doing my walk (slowly) with them for company."
One runner in training managed to cover the uphill course 10 times, she said.
"People walked and chatted and trotted past sheep, alpacas and miniature horses (and big ones).
"And those who had never been to the top of Campbells Rd before were blown away by the big city hills, peninsula and harbour views."
Those taking part lingered over cups of tea and baking, no-one being in a hurry to go home, Mrs Yeoman said.
She thanked all those who took part, in Dunedin and elsewhere in New Zealand, for their support and for helping to raise $7500 for the Cancer Society.
Fellow ambassador Nicki Swift and husband Roger, who are isolating for four months while she undergoes chemotherapy for breast cancer, had to cancel their planned family fun day to stay safe from Covid-19.
While fellow participants from Mason & Wales Architects and enable.me Otago took on their own challenges, the Swifts set themselves the goal of walking 30km over Otago Anniversary Weekend.
"On the Saturday, which was our 34th wedding anniversary, we walked the Town Belt, which was lovely," Mrs Swift said.
On the Sunday, they trekked up and down Murdering Beach, and on the Monday they walked up Swampy Summit, accompanied along the way by support dog Frankie.
"In the end, we were delighted to have managed 35km over the three days, and the views we got to enjoy were fantastic.
"It was really nice to have that sense of achievement in the midst of our battle."
The team had raised $4500 for the Cancer Society, with more to come.
Mrs Swift encouraged everyone in Dunedin to think about having a go at their own Relay Your Way event, or to make a donation to the Cancer Society.
"Cancer doesn’t stop for the pandemic, and the services that the Cancer Society provides are needed more than ever," she said.
Cancer Society Otago-Southland events and community campaigns team leader Emma Anderson was impressed at the efforts of teams in Dunedin and the wider South towards making Relay Your Way a success.
Knowing that some teams were still planning their fundraising events, and in the hopes of reaching the $100,000 goal, the decision had been made to extend Relay Your Way and the online fundraising pages until June, she said.
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