I attended two events on the weekend which reminded me how strong the bonds of community are in this region.
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On Saturday night the local Leukaemia Foundation, a team of tireless volunteers hosted the Light the Night event at Tony White Oval in Mount Isa.
Light the Night is the Leukaemia Foundation’s evening lantern walk, where Australians come together and “transform the darkness into a sea of glowing light to beat blood cancer.”
Mount Isa has one of the most active fundraising leukaemia groups in the country, notably with the efforts of sisters Cathy Swift and Joyce Neilsen who raise money at the Plaza every Thursday and Saturday selling raffle tickets.
There was also the efforts of Elaine Gamer, though she no longer lives in the city, has been a standard bearer against blood cancers for since her daughter sadly succumbed to the dreaded disease 40 years ago.
The night at Tony White heard stories from survivors, from relatives and from volunteers who gave their unique perspective on the problem and there were different coloured lanterns available depending on your relationship to the cancer.
Blood cancers occur when blood cell production is interrupted by the uncontrolled growth of an abnormal type of blood cell and 12,000 combined new cases of leukaemia, lymphoma and myeloma are diagnosed in Australia every year.
It was great to see so many people that to raise awareness of the issue and dig deep to help research into the problem.
Then on Sunday, I attended the 100th anniversary of Remembrance Day at Mount Isa cenotaph. Remembrance Day has never had the same place as Anzac Day in the Australian imagination but this year’s was an important anniversary and it was particularly pleasing to see so many schoolchildren there.
The First World War must seem like ancient history to them, as remote as the Romans but occasions like Remembrance Day help make it real. For Australia, the First World War remains the deadliest. From a population of five million, 416,809 enlisted, of whom more than 60,000 were killed and 156,000 wounded, gassed, or taken prisoner – Derek Barry