Flaxmere College Relay Your Way event kicked off with a special survivors' lap to recognise those who had fought cancer. Photo / Paul Taylor
Flaxmere College Relay Your Way event kicked off with a special survivors' lap to recognise those who had fought cancer. Photo / Paul Taylor
After the Cancer Society had to cancel its original Hawke’s Bay Relay For Life event, a Flaxmere College Year 13 Tupu social science class decided to host their own relay under the Cancer Society’s Relay Your Way initiative.
The Year 13 social science class was working on an assessment and had to take an action that would benefit the community.
With almost everyone in the class knowing someone who has been touched by cancer in some way, the Relay for Life was chosen.
Wanting to involve more of the wider community the group decided to hold their Relay Your Way at Flaxmere Park, which then evolved to run alongside the Thursday Flaxmere Night Market.
For the relay the class of 10 students planned the event and organised food stalls, banners and approached potential sponsors.
Students, teachers and community members all came together to walk laps for Flaxmere College's Relay Your Way event. Photo / Paul Taylor
The group’s teacher, Anna Follett, social science leader of learning said the Relay Your Way was a great event.
“A combination of beautiful weather, a good cause and combining with the Flaxmere Market meant we had a big turn out from the community with lots of support, there were people everywhere,” Follett said.
Not only did the students organise the event, but they ran a food stall selling burgers to raise more money, while more 35 other students from school ran laps for the relay between 4pm and 7pm on March 22.
When asked what stood out from the event Follett said, “Starting the event with our survivor lap was special, names were written on the batons for people to recognise those who had fought cancer.
Sally Maoate, (left) Laura Gemmell, and Liz Morley took part in Flaxmere College's Relay Your Way event. Photo / Paul Taylor
“Our class can’t really pinpoint a standout moment, they were just thrilled with how many people turned up to support the event.”
Holding the event at the same time as the Thursday Flaxmere night market went “very well”, said the teacher.
She added, “We think it was a good combination and benefited us and the market as well.”
Traci Tuimaseve, who organises the Flaxmere night market, explained the event went well and with more time to organise it could have been even better.
The Relay Your Way event happened on the last market of this season so there were extra people at Flaxmere Park on the night.
Tuimaseve said, “It was great having the extra number of students and families associated with Flaxmere College there.”
The market organiser said he expected a few more people to come out to the event, however said despite a few organisation issues, the event was “well attended and those who participated really enjoyed themselves”.
Tuimaseve said, “We would certainly consider combining one of the night markets, or even a full-on 12-24 hour event, in conjunction with a community-based Relay for Life.”
He added, “The night market is produced by the Flaxmere Planning Committee who would certainly look at hosting a proper relay for life event in Flaxmere.”
Maddisyn Jeffares became the editor of the Hawke’s Bay community papers Hastings Leader and Napier Courier in 2023 after writing at the Hastings Leader for almost a year. She has been a reporter with NZME for almost three years and has a strong focus on what’s going on in communities, good and bad, big and small. Email news tips to her at: maddisyn.jeffares@nzme.co.nz.
