Warrnambool Relay For Life returns this weekend in shorter format

Saturday's Warrnambool Relay For Life, organised by a committee of just three people, returns in a smaller and shorter format after a three-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic and scarce volunteers.

The Warrnambool relay has raised more than $2 million for the Cancer Council across almost two decades and this year's fundraising target is $30,000.

Warrnambool event chair Fran Hynes said the 10-hour relay would begin on Saturday at noon at Deakin University and follow a similar format to previous years.

"All the elements of the relay are still there," Mrs Hynes said. "The candlelight ceremony is still at 9pm. The community's still there and the support is there. We're just starting back."

Mrs Hynes said participants would take turns to walk around the university oval and there would be live music and entertainment with artists donating their time.

She said 15 teams had registered - a third of its usual numbers - and she expected about 250 attendees - a quarter of the amount of people who normally participated.

Mrs Hynes said they needed more committee members if the event was to continue.

"We're desperate for a committee," Mrs Hynes said. "Unfortunately there's only been a couple of people pulling this together. The time has come now if it's to be reinvented, people need to step-up and help out because it's simply not do-able anymore.

"It takes a lot of time to pull it together and if we had a committee of six or eight people, everyone would divvy it up and have one task to look after. We understand it's hard but if everyone helps out a little bit it's quite easy to do."

The call for more helpers comes after a chronic volunteer shortage is being experienced across the region, with already dwindling volunteer numbers continuing to drop after the pandemic.

This month's Warrnambool Wunta Fiesta was cancelled due to a lack of committee member numbers and in the past 12 months emergency services, sporting clubs, agricultural show societies and other community organisations have said they were struggling to fill vital roles.

Mrs Hynes said Relay For Life attracted a like-minded community who honoured and paid tribute to a loved one with cancer, someone who had died from the disease or a cancer survivor.

She said support for the event was unwavering despite the pandemic-induced break, with suppliers and walkers keen to be involved again.

"This will be the 19th event in Warrnambool and some of those have been there since the beginning," she said. "It's a really beautiful community that come together."

Teams can still register or individuals can attend and walk for an existing team. Register at the event or visit relayforlife.org.au

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