Fighting the fight: Julie Cameron and Erin Higgins organised the Melonoma March event. Ms Higgins currently has stage 4 melanoma.
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They came from all walks of life, united in a single goal.
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On Sunday, March 17, at Kennedy Park, Thompsons Beach, from 8.30am to 11.30am, Cobram and Barooga, more than 220 residents joined forces for the inaugural Melonoma March event organised by best friends Julie Cameron and Erin Higgins.
The walk, which was 5km long, allowed participants to soak in the beauty of the local area and was organised to raise funds for melanoma research with the Melanoma Institute of Australia.
For ogranisers Julie Cameron and Erin Higgins, the march was more than an event; it was a heartfelt mission, driven by their personal battles with melanoma.
Ms Higgins has stage four melanoma and has undergone multiple surgeries, resulting in the loss of 83 per cent of her right lung.
For Ms Cameron, her husband also suffered from a melanoma scare and is constantly going to the doctors to check for skin cancers.
Ms Cameron said she was overwhelmed by the positive community support.
Good crowd: The event has attended by more than 220 people.
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“It was fantastic, the event was very successful,” Ms Cameron said.
While the final tally is yet to be confirmed, Ms Cameron said that over $11,000 had been raised, showcasing the community's generosity.
She said she was grateful to the local businesses that got behind the event, including supporting the raffle, and thanked the participants who took part, vowing to host the event in 2025, if possible.
“We really appreciate the community support and hope more people come along next year,” Ms Cameron said.
“We really want to keep the event going. We are hoping that we get more awareness out there, and more people will come next year and that the event gets bigger and better."
Her words were echoed by Erin Higgins.
“It is amazing. We had way more people there than anticipated,” Ms Higgins said.
“Thank you to each and everybody who supported the event. We live in a great community.”
