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Breast cancer survivor Jodi Tomlin knows first-hand why the Cancer Society’s work matters so much to so many.
The Ararimu local, secretary of the Auckland Vintage Car Club and captain of the Auckland branch’s Daffodil Rally for Cancer, is combining her love for vintage vehicles with a cause close to home.
The rally will run on August 30 (from 10am to 2pm), two days after Daffodil Day, at the Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Temple in Flat Bush.
“Cancer touches everybody somehow. Even if it’s a friend who has it, you’re still being touched by it,” Tomlin says. “We just hope that one day, thanks to all of our fundraising, we can go ‘tick, we’ve done it, we’re rid of cancer,’ or that we’ve found [more or better] ways to treat it.”
Tomlin’s cancer was detected in 2020 through a routine mammogram. Without the screening, she says her tumour would likely have gone unnoticed for another couple of years.
“What was a Covid-19 year for everybody else, 2020, was also a breast cancer year for me,” Tomlin says.
Now cancer-free, she takes every opportunity to encourage others to stay on top of their health checks.
She is also encouraging locals to head along to the rally so that they can help the Cancer Society in its fight.
This year’s Daffodil Rally for Cancer will include much more than a static display of classic and vintage vehicles.
Hoping to draw in more people, Tomlin has invited schools to perform kapa haka and other traditional dances, adding to the community feel of the event.
“The temple’s youth group is going to perform a couple of dance routines, so there’s a few extra things that will appeal other than just the vehicles,” she says.
A crowd favourite will also be making an appearance – a 1915, 12-seater bus, which is already well known from other events including Christmas parades. Visitors will be able to take a ride.
For Tomlin, every dollar raised and every conversation started is a step towards a future where fewer lives are affected by cancer.
August 28 is Daffodil Day. To help the Cancer Society help others, visit daffodilday.org.nz.
