Alex Hawke (Mitchell, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is a privilege to follow the member for Fraser and his fine speech about Nicole by commending my own community for their efforts in raising money for cancer through the Hills Relay for Life in another successful year. For five years I have been a supporter and participant with my own team in the Hills Relay for Life, but this year was a particularly special effort from the Mitchell community. It was a fantastic day and night filled with raffles, cakes, hot chocolates, fantastic entertainment and a moving candlelight ceremony, but I was in awe of this year's contribution of members and of money raised by our community in support of this worthy cause. As everyone is well aware, cancer does not discriminate, which is why community events such as the Hills Relay for Life are so important. At the opening ceremony I was moved while listening to the different speakers' personal stories—including those of our mayor and Dr Anita Tang—of how their lives had been affected by cancer, which inspired all of those listening, including me, to carry on in our fight to cure this hideous disease.

While it was great to see so many teams participating, including my own team of about 20—I congratulate all of them and the people who sponsored us—I want to make special mention of Team Bunny, who always put in so much special effort with their famous pumpkin soup and cake stalls. I would also like to mention International Productions, which not only is a sponsor of Hills Relay for Life but had movies playing throughout the afternoon and the night. Denise Daynes, who is part of International Productions, is also a committee member and works tirelessly obtaining sponsorship each year. Another special mention is for our great community facility the Castle Hill RSL, who donated a $10,000 cheque on the day. The RSL's continual support of our local community is widely appreciated.

I am proud to announce today that the Hills Relay for Life this year capped over $2 million of total donations over the last 10 years. This money, of course, will go towards much-needed medical research in finding a cure to this insidious disease. The following researchers have benefited from the generosity of the Hills community and I want to make special mention of them: Professor Judy Kirk at Westmead, researching cancer links in families; cancer researcher Megan Chircop of Kellyville Ridge; the Millennium Institute; and many other great researchers.

A successful relay like the Hills relay does not come together overnight. It takes months and months of planning, and I would like to recognise the committee: chairwoman Bev Jordan, Cathy Aird, Bev Barnfather, James Butler, Michelle Byrne, Julian Carpenter, Sylvia Chan, Marilyn Coventry, Denise Daynes, Ruth Didsbury, Katie Didsbury, Peter Gangemi, Robin George, Alison Harper, Tony Hay, Brian Miles, Bryan Mullan, Monique Murray, Sara More, Angela Pike, Lynne Pike, Linda Pine, Christine Zec and our liaison officers Petra Williams and Samantha Conner.

That great long list of names shows how well our community does support such an important event, and the generosity of the Hills community should not be forgotten. So many companies and businesses donate their time, effort and facilities so the relay can be a great success. We have so many stories of people who have lost their lives, and it is wonderful to see that we are making great gains in medical research with the support of so many communities, through Relay for Life.