Albert Giacomelli says his wife Maria’s smile could melt him from a mile away.
It is this memory that inspired the Smiling Marias – the Giacomelli family team – to join the Caroline Springs Relay for Life at Burnside Heights Recreation Reserve on September 26 and 27, raising money for Cancer Council Victoria.
Mr Giacomelli and the couple’s children, Oscar and Sienna, will be taking part to celebrate the memory of Mrs Giacomelli, who died of cancer in February 2013.
“Relay for Life is a great event and it’s something nice for our kids to do in honour of their mother,” he says.
“They’re getting involved with the fundraising and they really enjoy it.
“Maria was always smiling and her smile could melt you. She’s still in everything we do. It’s like she’s still with us,” Mr Giacomelli says.
“It’s one thing to raise money and it’s another to be able to meet other people who might be going through a hard time and be able to support them.
“If anyone is in a situation where they need to talk, I always make myself available because our family has been through it,” Mr Giacomelli says.
A spokeswoman for the Caroline Springs Relay for Life event says runners are already dusting off their trainers for the cause and 15 teams have registered to hit the track come September.
Every year, 30,000 Victorians will be diagnosed with cancer, and 11,000 will die from their disease. In Melton shire alone, 315 people are diagnosed with cancer every year.
Details: www.relayforlife.org.au
