Lifestyle

Mother’s Day Classic 2015

 

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The Mother’s Day Classic fun run/walk has become a calendar must-do for thousands of families, friends and community groups, who revel in a festive event that supports a serious cause – funding research into breast cancer, Australia’s most common female cancer.

Registrations are open now, to take part in a national event that last year involved 130,000 Australians in 98 locations, including 87 regional towns and every capital city.

Mother’s Day Classic National Chair, Louise Davidson, said people participate for different reasons: some to honour loved ones lost to breast cancer, others to mark their survival – and a growing number who enjoy the event’s family atmosphere and participate to reach their own health and fitness goals.

“It doesn’t matter how you walk or run, or even how fast, it just matters why,” Ms Davidson said. Ms Davidson said while anyone attending a Mother’s Day Classic will see festive dress-ups and an abundance of pink, this doesn’t change the serious undertone of why the event exists in the first place. “For every pink wig and tutu out on the course, there will be participants wearing tribute cards to honour loved ones living with breast cancer and remember those  lost to the disease. We try to make Mother’s Day Classic a fun and memorable day out, but we never lose sight of our purpose,” Ms Davidson said.

Since it began in 1998, Mother’s Day Classic has contributed $24.3 million to the National Breast Cancer Foundation’s research program. In that time, breast cancer 5 year survival rates have increased  to nearly 90%.  “Money raised supports research into new treatments, diagnostic techniques and of course the end goal of finding a cure. The more we raise, the faster a cure can be found,” she said.

Ms Davidson is the Victorian 2015 Australian of the Year (Local Hero), for her role in co-founding the Mother’s Day Classic after she lost her mother to breast cancer.  Bring the family, set a fitness goal Ms Davidson said while many of the people who participate in the Mother’s Day Classic have a personal connection to breast cancer, each year it attracts more and more family groups who find it a fun and meaningful way to start Mother’s Day.

mothersdayclassic.com.au

To acknowledge this, the 2015 Mother’s Day Classic provides discounted family tickets nationally and is planning more family activities and entertainment at the large events. “Each year we see growing numbers of fitness groups, and groups of friends, who are using the event to motivate themselves and their friends to achieve health and fitness goals,” Ms Davidson said. “We think that’s fantastic and we’d encourage everyone to set a fitness goal, gather your friends and register for Mother’s Day Classic 2015.”

“I look at the thousands of people who participate each year and if I could use three words to describe a common thread, I’d say determination, motivation and inspiration’,” Ms Davidson said. “They are determined to make a difference, motivated to meet their own health and fitness goals and inspired by the amazing participants they see who have been touched by breast cancer.”

To register, fundraise or volunteer go to www.mothersdayclassic.com.au

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