EIGHTEEN months ago Maureen Olsen was diagnosed with Non Hodgkins Lymphoma.
To date, she has endured 14 bouts of chemotherapy, which have unfortunately so far been unsuccessful. Maureen is now onto heavier chemo doses which have left her without her thick glossy hair.
Despite her personal health situation, Maureen has bravely committed to captain a team for this year’s Hastings Relay For Life.
The relay is a fun, overnight event where teams of around 10 people of all ages take turns walking or running around a track within a fun festival atmosphere. It takes place world-wide in 21 different countries, making it the biggest fundraising event for cancer in the world.
The 2014 event, to be held on 22 and 23 March, will be Maureen’s second Relay For Life. Her first coincided with her cancer diagnosis.
“Having cancer, I felt I wanted to give back what they were giving to me,” Maureen said. “There is still so much they don’t know about cancer, how to treat it and what causes it, so being involved in Relay For Life means we are actually doing something about finding answers”.
Maureen’s team Apple Dumplings has busily been arranging a fashion parade, one of their multiple fundraising activities leading up to the event. When asked about the reason for the team name, Maureen explained apples were healthy and that she is “short and dumpy”, hence the name.
To date, Maureen’s team has already raised a magnificent $1100 through raffles, prizes for which having been donated by friends and family. In fact Maureen’s sister won a barbecue which she has donated back to be raffled at a future date.
Last year more than 1000 local Hastings residents were involved in Hastings Relay For Life and over $125,000 was raised.
This year, organisers are hoping to involve even more people and raise $130,000.
For more information go online to http://relay.cancercouncil.com.au/2014/hastings
