Relayed their way for Cancer Society

WALK THE WALK: Roxanne Ng (middle) and Janine Feibis, with pedal power support from Jackson Ng, pound the pavement around the Te Hapara School block in one of the Relay Your Way events held as an alternative to Cancer Society fundraiser Relay For Life. Picture by Paul Rickard

“IT started off as something small. It turned into something not so small.”
That was how Margaret and Kara Hull — the Relay Your Way organisers for Team HULLkfit — described their 24-hour event over the weekend, which peaked at 200 participants walking on the Te Wharau School bike track on Saturday.
Mr Hull said they did not know every participant.
“We put out invitations online.”
They only started organising their Cancer Society fundraiser several weeks before.
“We are over the moon,” Mr Hull said.
“We didn’t expect that many participants.”
Te Hapara School was another entity which decided to Relay Your Way after Gisborne-East Coast Cancer Society cancelled its 2023 Relay for Life at the A&P Showgrounds following the devastation caused by Cyclone Gabrielle.
School staff, students and parents — using the school as a base — relayed for six hours on Saturday around the Mill Road, Aberdeen Road, Lytton Road and Gladstone Road block.
Members of the public also asked to take part.
“We even had a dog join in,” school principal Linda Savage said. “We don’t know where it came from.”
Te Hapara School shares some similarities with Team HULLkfit.
Members of both have friends or whānau who are battling cancer or have died from it.
Mrs Savage said many staff members or family members knew someone impacted by cancer. 
“Relay Your Way was a way of doing it our way and drawing the kids in.”
Team HULLkfit displayed photographs of “those who have lost the battle”.
Both teams exceeded their original fundraising targets. 
Mrs Hull said they originally aimed for $1000 and then $3000.
“We have now topped $5000.”
Mr Hull said they had no idea of what their final total would be.
Their fundraising efforts also involved raffles, batons-up and koha classes at  HULLkfit.
The Hulls thanked sponsors Downer and others for barbecue food and raffle prizes, and JT Contractors Limited for the lights which lit up Te Wharau School overnight.
Mrs Savage said Te Hapara School originally aimed to raise $1000 “but we’ve already raised $3000”.
“Raffles will take the figure higher.”
The Hulls and Mrs Savage hailed the Cancer Society’s legendary fundraiser Daryl Gowers as “a remarkable man”.
Mr Gowers went to both venues and held popular lolly scrambles.
When The Herald visited the candle bag display honouring the deceased at the cancer society headquarters in Gladstone Road on Saturday night, Mr Gowers was there.
Cancer Society fundraising and events coordinator Shay Podjursky said the society was delighted with the support from the community.
“The candle bag ceremony is always such a special part of the Relay For Life event so it was important to us that we could still offer this opportunity to Tairāwhiti. 
“Our Relay Your Way teams put in a huge amount of work to create their events and they all went really well.” 
The Cancer Society is hoping for better luck next year after consecutive Relay for Life cancellations due to Covid-19 and Cyclone Gabrielle.
Most Relay for Life teams have put their 2023 plans on hold for 2024.