An important and apt health message will be shared to ocean-loving Aussies via a special event at the Noosa Festival of Surfing.
The Melanoma March will bring attention to the ever-present threat of skin cancer for surfers, and Australians young and old, at Main Beach on March 6.
Volunteers and participants will gather for a walk to raise awareness and funds for treatment, prevention and research.
Melanoma is the most dangerous form of skin cancer.
The march was launched by Manly’s James Economides in 2008, after he lost his 20-year-old son Michael to melanoma.
James wanted to help prevent the loss that he had suffered, increase awareness and raise funds for Melanoma Institute Australia, to help preventative research.
The institute aimed to treat melanomas and ultimately eradicate them.
Noosa Festival of Surfing officials and participants were eager to support the 11th edition of the march.
Many of the competitors have had melanoma scares or know others who have had melanoma scares.
Sunshine Coast resident and Melanoma March volunteer organiser, Raphael McGowan of Bakslap, has orchestrated the event for several years and will bring it to Noosa’s stunning shores for the first time.
“We always have a good turn-out of participants but this year we hope to expand that,” he said.
“Surfers are some of the most at-risk individuals to melanoma so the connection between this year’s Melanoma March and the Noosa Festival of Surfing is both powerful and vital.”
The walk will trace the boardwalk and coastline from First Point to National Park before returning, on the first Sunday of the festival.
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It’s an opportunity for participants to connect with others who have directly and indirectly suffered from the impacts of melanoma, to raise awareness and to bring some much-needed financial support to melanoma research.
“Despite the seriousness of the issue, Melanoma March is about positivity,” Raphael said.
“We need to support and uplift each other, to not make the event about the tragic loss that melanoma causes, but about the positivity of support for recovery, both physically and emotionally.
“Melanoma Institute Australia is doing fantastic work as the world’s leading melanoma research and treatment centre.
“We hope that on Sunday, it will allow people to feel more encouraged by the advancement of treatment and research, as well as increasing awareness of its prevention and support for those dealing with the impact of melanoma.”
Local stall holders and live music will be on hand for the event, presented by local radio station SeaFM, and participants will unite in a leisurely walk to National Park and back again, completing their march on the sands of Main Beach.
Raphael and the Melanoma March team will also return to First Point on Saturday, March 12, to bring the crowd back together for a more informal occasion. He aimed to inspire connection, support and understanding during an afternoon of kinship and conversation.
The Melanoma March will take place at First Point, Noosa Heads on Sunday, March 6, from 3.30pm to 5.30pm. The event is organised by Bakslap and supported by the Noosa Festival of Surfing.
For more information, see Bakslap -Melanoma March.
The Noosa 31st Noosa Festival of Surfing, presented by GemLife, will be held from March 5 to March 13. See more at Noosa Festival of Surfing.
