It’s a helplessness Danny Lowe knows far too well.
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He felt it 15 years ago when his late son had cancer and it’s still there today as his parents fight the disease, especially since his mother received a terminal diagnosis.
Trying to combat that feeling and bring about change will motivate the Wodonga retailer and councillor as he starts rehearsing for the Stars of the Border Dance for Cancer gala night.
He and dance teacher Charli Ivic will join 12 other couples at the Cancer Council NSW fundraiser on May 4, where Border identities perform a routine they have learned in eight weeks.
“When I was asked to do this I thought well, it’s just another way I can show support for Mum and just help raise some money so other people don’t have to go through the same thing,” Mr Lowe said.
“When you watch someone pass with cancer, you try to remain positive and you try to do everything you can but you’re really quite useless.
“So if we can raise some money that goes into research and they can find cures for these cancers, it’s only a positive outcome.”
Jordan, who also had a disability, was only nine when he died of leukaemia in 2003.
“He was given three months to live, we took him off the treatment and he fought a great battle and went on for another 18 months after that,” Mr Lowe said.
“You look back and think what if you did this different, what if you did that different?”
For Stars of the Border, Mr Lowe will tackle an Argentine tango, which his teacher describes as more of a street style dance.
“It’s very ‘assassins’ – ‘I love you but I hate you and I’m going to get one over you’ deal,” Ivic said.
The dancer, in her debut Dance for Cancer year, felt sure her partner would work hard on their routine.
“I’m pretty certain he’s going to pull something awesome together,” she said.
Mr Lowe was perhaps less certain about his dance prowess.
“This is where you lay pride down and put that away,” he said with a laugh.
Alongside dancing comes fundraising and Mr Lowe is auctioning a day on a wake boat donated by Malibu Boats, as well as fuel, driver and all sporting gear, even sausages and bread.
“Everything’s supplied, even some coaching will be thrown in there,” he said.
The bidding opened at $1000 but is expected to rise.
The planned day for the wake boat outing is March 11, but “if the donation’s big enough we can arrange another weekend or another day”.
Ring (02) 6021 4511 to place a bid.
Tickets for the gala night at Albury Entertainment Centre have been selling fast, with fewer than 70 places left earlier this week.
