Page 963 - Week 03 - Tuesday, 20 March 2012
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ACT Cancer Council—relay for life
MR HANSON (Molonglo) (6.17): I rise tonight to talk about the ACT Cancer Council relay for life 2012 which occurred over the last weekend. The relay for life is a fundraising activity for the Cancer Council, and it commenced at midday on Saturday, 17 March and concluded at midday on the Sunday. I was fortunate enough to put in a team amongst the 150-odd teams that were participating in the event and the many thousands of Canberrans who were out there walking around the Australian Institute of Sport track raising money for the Cancer Council. It was great to see so many younger Australians out there participating in this event as well.
My team had 16 members, and I would like to pay particular note to Brigitte Morten, who organised so much of the activity and spent so much time working on making it such a success. She stayed out there for the entire 24 hours and was instrumental in the success of the event for the Jeremy Hanson team.
Also participating were Talia Katz, Angela Samuels, Mitchell Clout, Ross MacDonald, Zed Seselja, Gary Humphries, John Hayhoe, Alistair Coe, Kate Davis, Karin Semecky, Kate Louis, Daryl Shoard, Shirley Shoard, Sue White and Chris Inglis. Brendan Smyth was due to attend but, unfortunately, was unwell, but I know that he really wanted to participate in the event.
At the relay for life there is an amazing array of different characters in costumes all out there having fun while raising their money for this cause. But of particular note were three ADFA cadets, Officer Cadet Samuel Beverly, Officer Cadet Daniel Kennedy and Officer Cadet Nathan Dubbeld, who were in their full marching order with their packs and webbing and boots and simulated Steyrs—five-kilo weights—and they marched just about the entire time, about 20 hours of the relay for life. They estimate it was about 100 to 120 kilometres. That was a magnificent effort. We often hear only the negative about some of our defence personnel, but they certainly showed there are some wonderful people out there at the Australian Defence Force Academy that we can be extremely proud of.
Like any of these events, there are a lot of people behind the scenes, and I pay my respects to the chair of the Cancer Council, Christine Brill, and the CEO, Joan Bartlett, as well as to the Cancer Council organising committee, which is a committee of volunteers, and I particularly thank Lisa, Julieanne and Gemma. The weather was a little bit inclement at times, but in the main it was a pretty sunny activity.
As a final message, I would like to thank my dear friend Hunter Cocks who helped me with the set-up; he did not participate in the walk himself but helped me with setting up the tent and pulling down the tent. It was great to see my good mate there helping me with this event. He is undergoing his own trials at the moment; I wish him every success and I am sure that it is all going to go well, but I pay particular homage to my very dear and good friend Hunter Cocks.
Question resolved in the affirmative.
The Assembly adjourned at 6.22 pm.
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