Cancer fundraiser Marathon in a Month to help Waikato Cancer Society keep up with demand

Cancer Society's Lion's Lodge in Hamilton. Photo / Mark Hamilton

The number of guests staying in Hamilton’s Cancer Society Lion’s Lodge has surged, the organisation’s Waikato-Bay of Plenty division says.

The lodge provides free accommodation, meals and support to patients who undergo treatment for cancer. In the 2018/2019 financial year, the lodge had 731 guests, but that climbed to 1857 guests in the 2022/2023 financial year.

Cancer Society Waikato-Bay of Plenty chief executive Helen Carter said they were seeing record numbers of people staying at the lodge through their cancer treatment.”

One patient who recently used Cancer Society Waikato/Bay of Plenty services was Huia Patena.

“Family were too scared to talk to me or video call because, in their imagination, they thought I’d be scrawny and all bones. So Leoni [Cancer Society supportive care nurse] rang me pretty much every fortnight and was a really, really good comfort to me. We could just talk about anything,” Patena said.

The society also organised a retreat getaway to Raglan for Patena and her partner.

“I went down to the sea and I just let it all go.”

Cancer Society supportive care nurses Leoni Lawry, Sharon Ward and Karen Keeling work with cancer patients across the Waikato. Photo / Cancer Society Waikato-Bay of Plenty

To continue its services and keep up with the demand, the Cancer Society Waikato-Bay of Plenty was running the annual Marathon in a Month fundraiser alongside the Cancer Society’s other five regional divisions.

Waikato-Bay of Plenty Cancer Society marketing coordinator Helen Cordery said the idea was for people to do the equivalent exercise to a marathon, but spread it out a month.

“You can do this in any way you want - swim, walk, run, skip or cycle.”

There were three different exercise targets: 42km, 120km and 168km or people can set their own individual goal. Participants can choose which Cancer Society Centre their funds should go to.

Cordery said the fundraising event was purposely based on exercising.

“One of our goals is to reduce the impact of cancer and being healthy and active goes towards that goal.”

Carter said Marathon in a Month was an ideal way to have fun, and prioritise health, while helping Cancer Society keep running across Waikato and Bay of Plenty.”

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