Colour, laughter and music mingle with the fragrance of food cooking on hot plates.
While scores of people from all corners of the community walk.
Bags of sweets and baking sit awaiting sale.
Kids spray colour into hair.
And still scores of people walked.
They had good cause.
It was the Relay for Life event and fundraiser for the Mid Canterbury Cancer Society at the Ashburton showgrounds on Saturday.
A 12-hour vigil to connect with others, celebrate life, remember loved ones passed and raise funds for the society.
They walked laps around the main oval either in groups, pairs, or alone.
Many faces told a tale; a glimpse into their reason for being there.
Some braved the heat and ran the distance.
There were never less than 180 people on the track at one time.
Individually they clocked up many laps and, as of yesterday, collective fundraising has reached $180,309.
Donations can still be made, until May, at midcanterbury.relayforlife.org.nz
During the relay, people passed symbolic batons to members in their team as they took time out, while others carried on.
Cancer Society – Ashburton community manager Aimee Cosgrove said it was an ‘‘epic’’ event summed up by one volunteer as ‘‘magical’’.
‘‘It was absolutely incredible,’’ she said.
Everybody was out walking but some were walking alongside someone who may not have been there, she said.
‘‘And that was really special.’’
People remembered, celebrated and found a way to fight back through the cause.
There was plenty of raw emotion drawn out especially during the candle light ceremony and a lap of silence.
‘‘Everyone just respected the lap of silence,’’ she said.
‘‘That was very emotional, there weren’t too many dry eyes around the track.’’
Opening ribbon cutting was by cancer survivors Sharon Dunstan, Paul Hands and his grand daughter Ruby Hands, who all had stories of hope.
‘‘They were all given poor prognoses and all are doing very well.’’
Cosgrove said there was nothing she would have changed about the day and she was so grateful to all involved.
‘‘Just everything went so well,’’ she said.
‘‘To come away feeling like that, it’s a great event.’’
