Hawke's Bay Relay for Life on track to proceed even under level 2 restrictions

Relay for Life at the Hawke's Bay Regional Sports Park, Hastings in 2018. Photo / File

The year 2020 has been a hard one for non-profit organisations says Pip Taylor, Hawke's Bay Cancer Society events co-ordinator, with the organisation fundraising approximately 48 per cent less than it normally would.

For April to August 2020 as compared with the same period last year, the Hawke's Bay Cancer Society experienced a drop in income of $136,818, which is a 44.7 per cent reduction, Taylor said.

"A significant part of that drop is $34,323 from special events, which includes community fundraising events that were impacted by lockdown," she said.

"Another major loss for us was the cancellation of the Property Brokers Relay For Life charity auction which was initially postponed in April, and then rescheduled for August but unfortunately had to be cancelled when we remained in level 2; this was a loss of $74,567 of income."

The loss meant that community participation in fundraising events like Relay for Life was more important than ever before, she said.

Taylor said this year the Hawke's Bay Relay For Life was rejigged so the event, on October 17, could go ahead even under alert level 2.

So far approximately 100 people had signed up for the fundraiser, she said.

"With Covid we have been forced to rethink things. We've made it more accessible with an all new format which will take each team three hours to complete," Taylor said.

However the fundraiser will still be keeping all ceremonies integral to Relay for Life.

"We will have three ceremonies - the opening at midday, which will also include the celebration and the heroes of hope walk, the laps which will include the 'remember ceremony' and the fight back ceremony," she said.

The new format will include 30 minutes of walking throughout the three-hour journey
that participants will experience.

"It's not a physical challenge, and the activities are designed to be fun, entertaining and engaging. We want high levels of engagement."

Organiser David Trim said the new format was based around the space and resources of the Mitre 10 Sports Park and designed to proceed even under lockdown level 2 restrictions.

Teams signed up for the fundraiser would also be able to nominate what time between 12.30pm and 7pm they would like to do their relay, he said.

"We know all relay participants want to be a part of something big and this is it," Trim said.

"Given the landscape on social community restrictions, we really wanted to design an
event that had the means to stand up to level two and still operate.

"I think we need this confidence for our events network and we need the social events for our own wellbeing."

Taylor said the Hawke's Bay Relay work group was putting together an "exciting line-up of fun activities" as well as honouring the Cancer Society's key messages of celebrating survivors, remembering those lost and focusing on how the community could fight back against cancer.

Relay For Life is a Cancer Society Fundraiser and proceeds raised will largely be used to fund local Cancer Society services.

To register go online at Cancer Society Hawke's Bay.