The hard-working Relay For Life Midwest committee were today awarded global honours for showcasing a superb dedication to the integrity of the Relay For Life experience on a worldwide front.

Relay For Life Midwest were thrilled to receive the Global Spirit of Relay Award.

This award is presented globally to one event each year that embodies the entrepreneurial spirit of engaging volunteers, sponsors, staff, survivors, and caregivers, to come together and celebrate hope through Relay For Life.

Event chairperson Barb Blayney said the Volunteer Organising Committee was deeply and profoundly honoured to receive the award at a specially convened morning tea for supporters from the community this morning.

Mrs Blayney said it was a tribute for the committee to receive the award and acknowledged that it is also a strong reflection of the whole community who work together to support Cancer Council WA.

Relay For Life Midwest are celebrating 10 years in the region and over this period will have raised in excess of one million dollars.

“As Barb’s husband I know how hard the committee works – they do a fantastic job,” Geraldton MLA Ian Blayney said.

“I’d also like to congratulate everybody in the community who help run the event, contribute, and raise funds through their teams.

“To win this global award shows the strength and commitment of both the people who run the Midwest relay and also the character of people who make up the Midwest of WA.”

To qualify for the Spirit of Relay Event Award the winner must have a commitment to excellence in each of the key development areas of Relay For Life.

All of their events must follow all the Global Relay For Life standards such as:

Leadership Development – Must have a minimum of 12 committee members and demonstrate continual emphasis on the development of a strong Relay committee;
Team Development – Must have an increase in the number of fundraising teams from the previous year, a 65% (or higher) team retention rate, and a solid team recruitment and team development plan in place;
Survivor and Caregiver Development – Must have an increase in the number of survivors from the previous year and a strategy to engage as many survivors and caregivers as possible throughout the year;
Event Development – Must meet all Global Relay For Life standards and prove to have engaging and impactful ceremonies;
Fundraising Development – Must have an increase in net income from the previous year, have a strategy in place to assist participants in fundraising, and ensure that all participants have the necessary tools to be successful;
Mission Development – Must place an emphasis on sharing the mission of your organisation, its impact in the fight against cancer, and the effect of Relay For Life on that mission.

Relay For Life is an annual overnight event that provides an opportunity for family, friends and colleagues to get together with the community and celebrate cancer survivors, remembered loved ones lost to cancer, and fight back against cancer.

The next Relay For Life Midwest event will be held on October 26 and 27 at Eadon-Clarke Oval. For more information go to www.relayforlife.org.au .