A volunteer committee organising the run have said they are hoping to double their participation in 2019 up from the 1,000 people who ran, rode, or walked this year. 

The committee are also hoping to double the amount of money they raise next year, with a target of $80,000. 

Can Assist president Olga Forner said that such funding would give her charity a secure base on which to continue delivering assistance to 153 families in Griffith who rely on help to receive treatments for a variety of cancers.  

According to Mrs Forner, Can Assist currently requires annual funding of $180,000 to provide treatment to people in Griffith. 

Mrs Former said she expects many more people will be forced to rely on the charity in 2019 given the strain this year’s drought has being putting on farming families across the Griffith region. 

“(With cancer) the biggest cost that Griffith families face is that there are medical procedures that are not Medicare-supported, PET scans, some MRI’s and some surgeries with up-front payments required,” Mrs Forner said. 

“Then after that comes the accommodation and travel expenses, Griffith has minimal cancer services apart from the fantastic Griffith Base Hospital Oncology Unit, but after that people have to either travel to Wagga or Sydney.

“If the patient does need to leave the area their families are not with them, it becomes a more stressful situation so we provide them with a carer,” Mrs Forner said. 

Committee member Sonya Callipari said people “can’t receive (most) radiation treatments in Griffith, if you’re looking at radiation you’re going to be away for six weeks Monday to Friday. 

Mrs Callipari said she is confident that the committee will be able to encourage another 1,000 people to participate in the City2Lake by walking, running, riding, or even pram pushing along the nine kilometer stretch from Jubilee Oval to Lake Wyangan. 

“I think lots of people in Griffith have been affected by cancer, every body knows some one who has been affected so this is an incredible way to honor memories of those past and walk together to support the people who are on their cancer journey now,” Mrs Callipari said. 

Mrs Callipari said the committee will also be looking for sponsors and volunteers and is encouraging any body who is unable to do the nine kilometers to consider lending a hand to help set up on the day. 

Food, drink and entertainment will available at Lake Wyanagan with registrations to open early next year. 

Prospective volunteers can call Olga Forner on 0429 645 264. 

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