Relay for Life opens with moving survivors' lap

Relay for Life saw teams including main sponsor, Property Brokers, take part at the Hawke's Bay Regional Sports Park, Hastings. PHOTO/Warren Buckland

The beat of drums and cheers from the crowd marked the start of the thirteenth Relay for Life, with the poignant opening survivors' lap.

Hawke's Bay Regional Sports Park was awash with people of all ages taking part to celebrate with survivors, remember loved ones lost to cancer and come together as a community to fight back against the disease.

Hawke's Bay Cancer Society centre manager Trudy Kirk said the event went "incredibly well" with good numbers and a beautiful day.

She believed about 1100 people, from 70 teams took part but was yet to do the final tally on Tuesday.

"The teams that participate are amazing, they all seemed to be enjoying themselves and we just appreciate all the help and our sponsors and the fundraising that has happened.

"We always aim for about 90 teams; we had 70, but some of those teams were so large it just swells the numbers."

The survivors lap, and candlelight ceremony are highlights for the manager.

"The whole thing about Relay for Life is that it is such a cross-section of our community, we have young families, children and babies, to the older generation and it just shows that cancer effects everybody, it doesn't discriminate between who you are and what you are - it really touches all of us."

For Te Kupenga Hauora–Ahuriri stop smoking practitioner and youth navigator, Kylee Stok, partaking in her first relay for life was particularly memorable.

In what was a last-minute decision, the local shaved her hair in front of the large crowd, raising more than $500 in one week, with more expected to come in.

"It was a really wonderful and humbling experience. It wasn't my initial thought that it would end up being on the level it was, it was just something I was going to do at home.

"A lot of people were saying to me I can't believe you are shaving your hair but my perception is it is just my hair and it is something I felt that I could do to stand up and show my support."

She believed those without hair, particularly woman had the perception of being "sick" and she wanted to change that and make it more "normal".

Her work regularly takes part in the event and she thought it would be a different way of raising funds besides just walking the laps, as well as remembering the many who have been affected by cancer in her family.

"I did that in honour and memory of my family that we have lost from cancer and the ones that are suffering."

Mrs Stok had a scare last year that didn't eventuate but the experience on Saturday took her back to the moment when she was sitting in the room waiting to go in and have the tests done.

"It is an unreal feeling. I can sympathise with anybody around both of those things really."

Friends, family and the wider public were able to cut her hair which were parted into ponytails, before Peleti Oli from Somehz Touch Barbers in Flaxmere shaved the rest.

Final figures will come in by the end of the month, with the foundation sponsor, Property Brokers, to hold its annual charity auction.