Chris Auguston honoured at Mackay Pioneer 2021 Relay for Life
Chris Auguston was the face of the 2021 Relay For Life, but he lost his battle to cancer before seeing his efforts brought to life. His family was determined to continue his mission.
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The day started and ended with rainbows for the Auguston family who walked to make their late father proud.
The face of the 2021 Relay For Life Chris James Auguston died of bowel cancer in January, but his memory was honoured by family and friends who gathered to fundraise for cancer in the Mackay Botanic Gardens.
Mr Auguston’s wife Candice said her husband had put in tremendous efforts to organise the event last year, which was sadly cancelled because of Covid-19.
“It was going to be a special day for Chris,” Mrs Auguston said.
“Now we want to finish what he started, to make him proud.”
A comment Mr Auguston had made inspired Augy’s Marching Army team’s theme for the day.
“When we spoke about this event, Chris was asked ‘what would a future without cancer be like?’,” Mrs Auguston said.
“He said it would look like sunshine, lollipops and rainbows, which is why our team theme is rainbows.”
Mrs Auguston said on the morning of the relay, she woke up to find a special surprise waiting for her.
“I looked outside, and there was this big rainbow,” she said with a smile.
Mrs Auguston said the relay was important, not just to honour her husbands memory but because of the incredible services the Cancer Council provided.
“When Chris was told he was terminal, that was pretty tough for him mentally,” she said.
She said the Cancer Council provided counselling which catered to people in their situation.
“It was priceless,” Mrs Auguston said.
The Mackay Pioneer Relay For Life aimed to raise $52,000, and was sitting at $41,000 half way through the event.
A friend of the Auguston family, young Dean Grech made a substantial contribution to the fund — by shaving off his mullet.
Mr Grech was a friend of Jack Auguston who with another mate Donovan Ryan Ellul, had shaved their heads in 2020 to raise money for cancer research.
“It was actually Donovan’s idea,” Mrs Auguston said, touched by her son’s friends support.
Mr Grech wanted his great grandmother Mary Vella to have the honours of taking the first slice from his hair because she had lost her husband to cancer nearly two decades ago.
Mackay and Pioneer Valley Relay for Life co-chair Lauren Lord said the event was a success.
“We’ve had 24 teams register with 300 people,” Ms Lord said.
While the target had not been met, Ms Lord was confident the remaining $8000 would be made through team fundraising in the following week.
Ms Lord said the money raised would be used in many ways to battle cancer, but pointed out the importance of the Hope Lodge in Townsville.
She said the lodge provided accommodation for families supporting loved ones in Townsville hospital.
“A lot of people from Mackay benefit from it,” Ms Lord said.
Since 2010, the Mackay Pioneer Valley Relay For Life had raised more than $500,000 for Cancer Council Queensland.
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