He may have taken on the head job of a prominent Albury-Wodonga fundraiser, but it’s certainly not about the individual for Peter Whitmarsh.
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Mr Whitmarsh will be the chairman for the 2018 Border Relay For Life after sharing that role last year with Kate Wilkinson.
“Bit scary, isn’t it?” he said with a laugh.
He joined the relay committee several years ago, managing the major raffle in 2015 and serving as logistics team manager the following year.
Last weekend Mr Whitmarsh’s commitment to the annual Cancer Council fundraiser saw him named the Individual Volunteer of the Year by Wodonga Council.
Being reminded of that honour provoked another laugh.
“I’m just one of the team, so to pick out me as an individual, I thought that was a little embarrassing,” he admitted.
“Because I rely very much on the team as they rely on me to get things done.
“It was more about the team, I believe.”
Forty teams have already registered for Border Relay For Life, with more than $20,000 banked for the cause.
A target of $375,000 has been set for this year’s event, which will be held on October 27 and 28 at Birallee Park, Wodonga.
The money raised each year goes towards cancer research, prevention programs and support services like transport.
Since August 2016, nearly 450 cancer patients have been taken to and from treatment appointments in Albury.
Cancer Council NSW has 40 trained volunteer drivers who pick up the transport car and travel to the patient’s home.
Mr Whitmarsh said he used his volunteer award presentation to highlight the widespread fight against cancer.
“I reiterated about how this rotten thing affects everybody, it’s not about just your Rotarys and your footy clubs and that sort of stuff, this brings everybody together,” he said.
The Border Relay For Life committee also includes Mr Whitmarsh’s wife Fiona and daughter Grace, 15, who is one of two junior members.
“The kids are terrific, they’re a good conduit for what the kids are after on the weekend,” he said.
Having started his service in logistics and set up, Mr Whitmarsh’s chairman role takes him more into operation on the day.
“We do a lot of planning and we prepare for a lot of what-ifs,” he said.
“There’s always something that pops up, but nobody else knows what’s going on because we’ve got such a great team.
“We just roll with it, fix it and just move on.”
- To register, go to relayforlife.org.au/border
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