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 Relay for Life
 The Caulfield Bears JFC
has been involved in the Murrumbeena “Relay-for-Life” since 2005, and will again
be entering a team this year. “Relay-for-Life” is a community event organised
on behalf of Cancer Council Victoria to raise funds for cancer research,
education and patient support programs. Our first attempt in 2005 raised
$3,500. In 2006 we managed to boost this by collecting a tad over $5,000. And
again in 2007, we exceeded the $5,000 mark.
 Our Club wanted to
contribute something back to our community. Initially the thought was to just
make a donation to a charity. However, after surveying our members, the Club
opted for “Relay-for-Life” - it provides a healthy, community-orientated and
fun avenue to benefit a very worthwhile cause. There are not too many members
of any community that have not been touched by cancer.
 Each volunteer Relay team
member represents a family from within the Bears community. During the football
season, the Club organises raffles and other events to raise funds. Team
members also raise money from within their family/employment/social structures.
Our players have arranged gold coin donations at their schools, and sold Cancer
Victoria shopping bags to raise money too.
 The 24 hour relay is held
annually in October at the Duncan McKinnon Reserve - the object being to keep
the team baton moving. The Club also contributes to the entertainment at the
event - what else but a traditional handball competition! We have proved to be
a great hit with the event organisers and other relay teams. We also won the
“best decorated tent” in 2006, working on the event theme of the Spring Racing
Carnival by decorating our tent as a stable. Again, we generated much comment
(and laughter) from the other competitors, but we have certainly raised our
Club’s profile in the community, had a lot of fun and raised much needed funds
for a very worthwhile cause along the way.
As a direct result of the
Caulfield Bears’ involvement in this worthy cause, the Club won a TRUenergy
Community Football Club Achievement Award in 2007 for “support and
commitment to community football” - an award that we all very proud of.
The Bears will once again
be entering a team in the 2008 Relay-for-Life, and everyone is encouraged to
join up. Relay-for-Life began in 1985, and has raised in excess of $850,000 for
the Cancer Council of Victoria. For more information about this event, just go
to the website at
www.relayforlife.org.au. |
How many bears does it take to
put up a tent?
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double click on it
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