Standing at Dunedin’s Relay for Life with the Southern Young Labour team, surrounded by thousands of people walking, remembering and hoping, is one of those moments.
This is not just a fundraiser. It is a deeply human expression of solidarity. And Dunedin deserves its reputation for putting on the best of these from around the country.
As MC Damian Newell from The Breeze said, it’s about the community coming together and recognising work that really does make a difference.
That spirit was unmistakable again this year. Teams of all ages walked through the day and night — a simple act that carries profound meaning.
Because cancer touches nearly every family, including mine.
My mother, Marietherese Leary, died of ovarian cancer just over two years ago. Walking the track, I felt her with me — in the quiet moments, in the laughter, in the determination of every person taking another lap.
Relay for Life creates space for grief, but also for hope.
Professor Chris Jackson, a leading Dunedin oncologist — and, as it happens, the husband of fellow MP Rachel Brooking — has often spoken about both the challenges and the promise in cancer care.
As noted in his speech to kick off the day: “the treatments we have are not very good” for some cancers, which is exactly why investment in research and community support is so critical.
But he also reminds us of the extraordinary people behind that effort — clinicians, researchers, volunteers and families — all working together to improve outcomes. That sense of collective purpose is exactly what Relay for Life embodies.
Events like this matter because they turn compassion into action. They fund vital services for patients and families. They raise awareness. And perhaps most importantly, they remind us no-one facing cancer is alone.
In politics, we often talk about systems — health systems, funding systems, policy systems. But Relay for Life reminds us that behind every system are people: people walking for someone they love, people fighting for more time, people determined to make a difference.
Dunedin has once again shown what a community can do when it comes together.
I was thrilled to hear that The Star newspaper is a media partner for the event, along with so many other local businesses.
As long as we keep walking — together — there is reason to hope.
