Relay earlybird registrations closing soon

Relay for Life state project manager Anthony Edwards, centre,
with local volunteers Sonya Downie, left,  and Sandra
Hetherington, recruiting at New Norfolk recently.

THE Derwent Valley Relay for Life will be one of four major relay events for the Cancer Council Tasmania in 2019.

Registrations for the 2019 Relay For Life are open now and all teams who register early will go into a draw for free tent-hire at the event.

Relay for Life state project manager Anthony Edwards said each relay went for 20-hours. Teams and participants get together to walk the track for many reasons related to fighting back against cancer.

“Relayers walk to remember those who have lost their battle, to celebrate life or simply to support this ongoing fight against this disease,” Mr Edwards said.

Eleven teams have already registered for the fourth Derwent Valley Relay for Life, which will start at 1pm on February 23 and finish at 9am on February 24. The venue will once again be at Tynwald Park in New Norfolk.

"Any teams who register for Relay For Life before the 31st of December will automatically go into the draw to win the Budget hire tent," Mr Edwards said. "This tent will be set up for you on the day of the event."

All you need to do is register your team at: bit.ly/RFLDERWENT

Mr Edwards said it was recommended to have 10 to 15 people per team. "More than 15 members can be difficult for team captains to manage and give everyone an opportunity to take to the track," he said. "If your team is growing, consider splitting it into two and have more members to join in the fun of Relay! With fewer than 10, it can be hard to keep someone on the track for the whole event."

Tasmania's three other relays in 2019 will be at Penguin on March 16-17, Hobart on March 23-24 and Launceston on  March 30-31. “We expect to see our 100,000th participant in 2019, which is an extraordinary number of people involved since Relay For Life started in 2001,” Mr Edwards said.

“Since 2001, we have held 77 events which is testament to the event’s longevity and incredible support Tasmanians give to this event every year. In this time, Relay For Life has raised almost $14 million from Tasmanian communities. Relay For Life has become an iconic community event that has cemented itself into communities across Tasmania.

“It’s a huge effort for us to achieve this outcome every year, yet our motivation is high because of its purpose and the people who participate. We enjoy working with our volunteer committees who do an incredible job to make it all happen," Mr Edwards said.

Relay for Life started in the Derwent Valley in 2015, when more than 250 participants attended at Boyer Oval. The event moved to Tynwald Park for the next relays in 2016 and 2017. The same popular park will be the venue for the fourth relay.

“Registration for this event is open and we encourage people to gather your friends or family together and form a team. You can register any time at www.relayforlife.org.au or by calling 1300 65 65 85,” Mr Edwards said.