Tony Smith (Casey, Liberal Party, Deputy Chairman , Coalition Policy Development Committee) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would like to talk about two events in my electorate that exemplify the best of the Australian spirit. On a cold and rainy Sunday morning a couple of weekends ago, 245 people of all ages braved inclement weather to take part in the Mental Health Fun Run at Lillydale Lake. The fun run was organised by Yarra Ranges Youth Services and the Shire of Yarra Ranges 2011 Young Citizen of the Year, Sam Taylor. There were 71 people who completed the five-kilometre run and 174 people who completed the 2½-kilometre walk. A total of $2,680 was raised, with the proceeds being donated to beyondblue to fight depressive mental illness.

It is fantastic to see people coming together to raise awareness and much-needed money for such an important cause. Joining Sam Taylor in organising this event was Sharon Patton, who led a hardworking team from the Shire of Yarra Ranges Youth Services. I would like to salute all the volunteers from Yarra Ranges Youth Services for their vital help with this event.

Moving from things past to things future, the Yarra Ranges Relay for Life is going to be held this coming weekend at the Don Road Sporting Complex in Healesville, in the Casey electorate. Relay for Life is the world's biggest fundraising event for cancer research, but it is more than just the chance to collect money. It also provides the opportunity to remember friends and family who have been lost to this dreaded disease and to thank those who have helped care for cancer patients. The candlelight ceremony is perhaps the most poignant part of the relay. It includes tribute bags that line the course, with personal messages of love and support. Then, as dusk falls, memorial candles light up the memory of those cherished loved ones who are so dearly missed.

The Yarra Ranges event is just one of the Relays for Life held all year, all around our country. This weekend over 700 people from the Casey electorate will be walking and running throughout the night. Through lots of sweat and, of course, a few tears they will be making a real difference in the fight against cancer. There are 36 teams registered for the relay, with more expected to sign up before the event begins on Saturday. The names of those teams are as colourful as the spirits of those who belong to them. They include the Teenage Terrors, the Flying Purple Cancer Beaters and the Jungle Fever. It is also great to see some local football teams taking part in the action: the Junction Eagles and the Mount Evelyn veterans football team. And let us not forget the vital role played by the local businesses that have sponsored both the relay and its participating teams. We have local musicians as well, who have volunteered to entertain everyone in attendance. All in all, we expect a great weekend of celebration and remembrance and, of course, reflection—a weekend that will perhaps help bring closer the day when cancer will be spoken of like polio or smallpox as a terrible disease of the past.

I would also like to pay a special tribute to 14 young committee members who have volunteered so much of their time between work and study to organise this local fundraising event: Kaitlin Morrow, Samantha Morrow, Stacey Morrow, Julian Brennan, Megan Fleming, Hannah Urquhart, Isobel Urquhart, Prue Northey, Emily Slaney, Cathy Moore, Stephen Moore, Jean-Philippe Britt, Kaine Marsh and Kirsty Dryden. These are some really amazing people whose energy and commitment belie their youth. The average age of this committee is a mere 22 years, and they are chaired by the very talented and enthusiastic Kaitlin Morrow from Wandin, in the Casey electorate. I recently had the pleasure of meeting Kaitlin and her sisters, Samantha and Stacey, who are all working tirelessly to make the Yarra Ranges Relay for Life this weekend the fantastic success I am sure it will be.