In the past 13 years Gerry Meehan has single-handedly raised thousands of dollars for cancer research.
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This is no mean feat for any volunteer let alone a man who cannot hear and cannot speak.
“I love to help people who have had a battle with cancer because I understand,” Mr Meehan wrote in a letter to The Mercury.
“I also understand how people feel if they have lost their loved ones. I have been through this because I have lost my parents, some relatives and friends to the disease as well.”
The Maitland man and cancer survivor has been chosen to cut the ribbon for this year’s Relay For Life event in Maitland and to also lead the annual survivors and carers walk.
“Gerry is an inspirational person because he has these disabilities yet he manages to sell all these raffle tickets,” Cancer Council NSW Upper Hunter community relations co-ordinator Glen Parsons said. “He’s just very passionate and doesn’t stop in his work for the Cancer Council.”
Mr Meehan, 60, said he his honoured to be chosen to lead the walk.
“I want to support cancer researchers by fundraising so they can get the breakthrough they need,” he said. “But this isn’t just for me.
“My heart belongs to people who have lost their loved ones.”
More than 60 teams have registered for this year’s event at Maitland Sportsground with a total of 505 participants.
“We’re sitting on about $55,000 at the moment and it’s going up each day,” Mr Parsons said. “Last year’s event brought in $213,000 so we’ve got some work ahead of us but the people of Maitland always get behind this cause and we have no doubt that will happen again this year.”
* The 2014 Maitland Relay For Life will be held on September 5 and 6. For more information visit www.relayforlife.org.au.
