People of all ages came out in force to celebrate and raise funds for breast cancer research at the annual Mother's Day Classic at Lake Canobolas on Sunday.
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Among them was a group of almost 40 family members who took part in the challenge in memory of late Orange nurse Michelle Murray.
Mrs Murray's 86-year-old mother Pauline Straney was part of that group and refused to let osteoarthritis prevent her from completing the 2.5 kilometre walk around the lake.
Ms Straney said it was too important for her not to do complete it.
"I made sure I walked the walk," she said.
"I'm 86 and I walked the whole walk for her.
"There would have been 30-odd of us, close to 40 that would have run for her." Unfortunately, the number was slightly lower than planned due to COVID.
Ms Straney said May 22 will mark 12 months since her daughter died of cancer and throughout that period she's continued to place fresh flowers on Mrs Murray's grave every week.
"She did a bucket list and she died a week after she did it," Ms Straney said.
"We went to New Zealand, she did sky [diving], she did everything.
"We went to Queensland, there was 40-odd of us, we went up there to Turtle Bay. We got back Saturday, on Monday she couldn't get out of bed," Ms Straney said.
She said Mrs Murray's sisters, who got matching tattoos with her, were by her side, "she went to sleep on Wednesday and passed away on Saturday".
Ms Straney said her daughter had cancer four times in an 18 year period.
"Forty to 50 nurses were out at her funeral the day she was buried," she said.
"She was such a beautiful girl. It's so sad."
Mrs Murray was 59 at the time of her death and she left behind four sons and three grandchildren, although Ms Straney said she considered it five counting two step-children of one of her boys.
Event organiser Sarah McIntosh was thrilled with the turnout and anticipates the final fundraising amount to be double that of last year with the money to go towards the National Breast Cancer Foundation to fund life-changing research.
"Last year, because of COVID everyone had to walk on their own," Mrs McIntosh said.
However it returned to normal this year and she expects the final amount to be between $12,000 and $10,000, including sponsorship and $2000 raised by Kinross Wolaroi School students who held fundraisers such as bake sales.
Mrs McIntosh said the boarders also participated on Sunday.
"It went well," she said, "a couple of hundred people turned up at least".
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Tanya Marschke
I am based at Orange and cover a wide range of subjects as well as the weekly business column. I've worked consistently in the the media industry since 2006 including the past seven years at the Central Western Daily. Before moving to Orange, I worked as a journalist at weekly newspapers the Beaudesert Times and the Gold Coast Sun in Queensland, as well as the Scone Advocate in the Hunter Valley. I started my career at the Ridge News in Lightning Ridge while I completed my journalism studies remotely at Charles Sturt University in Bathurst.
I am based at Orange and cover a wide range of subjects as well as the weekly business column. I've worked consistently in the the media industry since 2006 including the past seven years at the Central Western Daily. Before moving to Orange, I worked as a journalist at weekly newspapers the Beaudesert Times and the Gold Coast Sun in Queensland, as well as the Scone Advocate in the Hunter Valley. I started my career at the Ridge News in Lightning Ridge while I completed my journalism studies remotely at Charles Sturt University in Bathurst.
