Relay faces revealed

THE faces of the 2012 Banana Shire Relay for Life have been revealed.

Long-term Biloela residents and cancer research advocates Di and Don Morris have been announced as this year's faces of the relay.

Banana Shire Relay for Life chair Brett Wilson said the committee's choice was easy.

"We don't traditionally have two faces of the relay," Brett said.

"But when you get Di you get Don and when you get Don you get Di."

Don and Di Morris are more than happy to take on this role as a duo.

"When Brett asked us to be the face/faces of Relay for Life he told us it is a bit unusual asking two people but Di and I quite often do these things together," Don said.

Like many, the Morrises have been touched by cancer on a personal level.

These experiences drive them to contribute to cancer research in the hope that researchers may find treatments to reduce the suffering of those battling cancer.

"Our friend Megan died of lung cancer. She wasn't a smoker but she just had a bad case of lung cancer.

"Even though it will never bring Megan back, it may help someone else."

Relay for Life celebrates cancer survivors and raises much-needed funds.

"It is about fundraising. It gets the money. Without the money the research doesn't happen and without the research the improvement in life doesn't happen," Di said.

"My background is nursing and 40 years ago kids who were diagnosed with leukemia didn't survive. Now it's the opposite. It is only like 12%.

"So that is an enormous turn-around but that's purely because of research dominantly."

The Morrises said they hoped Relay for Life gave people the chance to think about cancer but also to celebrate the survivors.

"We often focus on the negatives but we need to focus on the survivors," Don said.

"There are hundreds of thousands of millions of survivors now," Di said.

"There are some good stories out there and Relay for Life is one of them," Don said.

Don and Di will play an important part at the Banana Shire Relay for Life event.

"They will perform official duties, especially the opening ceremony and candlelight ceremony," Brett said. "They will also be there to motivate the relayers to continue their 18-hour journey."

Money raised from the relay is passed on to Cancer Council Queensland.

"There may be some criticism that the money is taken out of the town and we aren't going to directly see it," Di said.

"When people say that to me, I say it is just nonsense because you have to have some major institutions for research purposes and projects."

Di and Don are ready to take on their role with their motto "we can make a difference together".

Brett said the Relay for Life committee was well on its way to reaching a 30-team target, with 24 teams already registered.

"We still have two and a bit months so teams still have plenty of time to fundraise," he said.

Banana Shire Relay for Life will be held at Magavallis Sporting Complex, Biloela, on October 13 and 14.