May 15, 2026
The South Burnett’s annual Relay For Life fundraising campaign officially kicked off on Friday morning with some big news … the 2026 Relay will return to the overnight formula which was so popular in the old days!
The launch breakfast, held at Kingaroy RSL Club, was hosted by South Burnett Mayor Kathy Duff and featured guest speaker, retired NRL player and former Maroon Darryl Brohman, who was interviewed by South Burnett Relay Patron Carl Rackemann.
Darryl spoke about his footy life – including the infamous State of Origin tackle which left him with a broken jaw – his post-footy career in the media, and his recent brush with cancer.
He was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins Lymphoma last year and underwent six weeks of chemotherapy, which the “Big Marn” admitted was hard.
(“Big Marn” was a nickname given to Darryl by radio announcer Ray Hadley which stuck).
Darryl said he just felt a bit unwell, “like a brick” was in his stomach, so he went to get a check-up and have some tests done.
He urged everyone to do what he did, ie. not delay seeking medical advice if feeling unwell.
The good news was that – just yesterday! – he had received the “all clear” although he would continue to have regular scans for the next few years.
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The other guest speaker at the brekkie launch was cancer survivor Lois Turner who was sashed by South Burnett Relay chair Rowena Dionysius as this year’s “Face Of Relay”.
Lois woke up on April 15, 2024, with a dull ache in her right breast,
She thought it would go away, but it didn’t so Lois decided to get it checked …
“By 11:00am, I had referrals for tests and by 6:00pm that night I was diagnosed with Stage 2 breast cancer,” she said.
A small lump the size of a pea had been discovered.
“What I learnt was that breast cancer can be silent; it doesn’t always come with the obvious warning signs,” she said.
Lois had surgery to remove the tumour and some lymph nodes, followed by five months of chemotherapy, six weeks of radiotherapy and participation in a clinical trial.
Lois stressed the importance of three simple things to the audience:
- Listen to your body
- Don’t ignore the small signs, and
- Never delay getting checked.
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This year’s actual Relay will be held on October 10-11 in Kingaroy’s T.J. O’Neill Oval.
South Burnett Relay For Life chair Rowena Dionysius said all the usual events would be happening including live music and games, the Survivors and Carers Afternoon Tea on the Saturday afternoon, the Candlelight Ceremony on Saturday evening and a breakfast on Sunday morning.
The theme this year is “We Won’t Sleep Until We Find A Cure” so it will be a big pyjama party!
Rowena said 17 teams had already entered but she hoped a lot more would sign up.
- Registrations can be made online
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Carl Rackemann said this year’s Dinner With The Champions would be held on August 8 at Kingaroy Town Hall.
Guests this year include Test cricketer Adam Gilchrist AM and marathon swimmer Susie Maroney OAM.
The third guest will be confirmed soon!
- Tickets can be ordered online
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Cr Jane Erkens, a licensed auctioneer, supervised the “Last Man Standing” sale of three purple cricket balls, signed by Darryl Brohman.
Each ball was sold for $260.
Cr Erkens also auctioned a silver bracelet made by Mayor Kathy Duff, which raised $300.
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The breakfast launch was supported by the South Burnett Regional Council and the Kingaroy RSL Club.
Kingaroy State High School students helped with serving the meals and members of the South Burnett Youth Council sold raffle tickets.
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Some Important Dates:
- Relay For Life Golf Day – July 4 at Kingaroy Golf Course
- Ride 4 Relay – August 25-29, based in Kingaroy, and entry for riders is still open!
- Dinner With The Champions – August 8 at Kingaroy Town Hall
- Relay For Life – October 10-11 at T.J. O’Neill Oval in Kingaroy
