Co-organisers Julie Cameron and Erin Higgins.
Photo by
Owen Sinclair
Marching has always been a strategy of courageous individuals banding together to face down seemingly impossible odds.
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The Melanoma March at Cobram’s Kennedy Park on Sunday, March 23, was no exception.
The park at Thompsons Beach was the stage of Cobram’s second annual Melanoma March for cancer awareness and research.
At least 100 people registered online, with many more showing up on the morning.
It was a crowd of diverse ages and walks of life.
“There are people who have been affected, there are people here because they know someone who’s been affected. It’s a broad spread,” co-organiser Julie Cameron said on the day.
“We’ve got — you know, my dad’s here; he’s 84. Right down to kids who are 10, 11, 12.”
Rebecca from Odesi Coffee provided the beverages, while a PA system pumped upbeat ’80s classics out across the park.
The march continued from Kennedy Park to Quinn Island and back. Credit: Deb McKean.
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Contributed
Kerri Smith shared her cancer journey as guest speaker.
Co-organiser Erin Higgins, as someone who has battled melanoma since 2019, said the event meant a lot to her.
“If it’s raising awareness, if it makes someone think to go and have a skin check, then — even if it’s for just one person — we’ve done our job,” she said.
“I know the last time we did this, we had people coming up and saying, ‘I’ve just had a skin check, because of you’.”
While the count is still on, this year’s march raised over $9000 to go towards cancer research.
“I think it’s a little bit unknown still. We live in a harsh weather country, and people don’t think about the ramifications of being out in the sun all day, every day,” she said.
“But when something like this is held, it jogs your memory to go do something about it.”
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