A Waimate High School Relay For Life to be held next month has already raised more than $16,000 for the Cancer Society.
The idea of running a Relay For Life event came from the school’s mana prefect, Abbie Joyce.
The position of mana prefect is focused on creating a positive and inclusive school culture.
Abbie said they had an original goal of $5000, but when they exceeded that she was very surprised.
But she hoped they would now reach $20,000.
‘‘It’s just $4000 more,’’ Abbie said.
Relay For Life has teams carrying their batons around the track to symbolise their community’s unstoppable fight against cancer.
About 110 pupils will be participating in the event — from years 7 through to 13 — split into school house teams.
Hanne Dirker, 17, whose house Leadbetter is blue, said she was hoping to dress her group up like a school of fish.
She felt a school of fish symbolised the way people joined together when a loved one had cancer.
When her grandmother died of cancer, her family had joined together, she said.
‘‘We were there with her till her last breath.’’
Pupil Lawrenique Stevens said her father would be walking in the first lap, which would be the survivor lap.
Her father had a stem cell transplant last year, Lawrenique said.
Her nana had come down from the North Island to look after her through that time.
The upheaval in her life — from her parents being in Christchurch a lot of the time while he got treatment — was something she got through by talking to a friend, Lawrenique said.
She suggested others in the same predicament reach out and talk to others.
The event will be held in the school grounds on May 3 from 5pm to 11pm.
Anyone who wants to make a donation can do so via the Relay For Life website.
