THE 2020 Bathurst Relay for Life has been pushed back to the end of the year.
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Traditionally, the Cancer Council event is held in March to raise vital funds for the charity.
However, chairman of the Bathurst committee, Dr Donald Alexander, has revealed that this year's event will be held in November.
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Part of the reason for the later start is to give the community more time to process all the demands of the bushfire crisis, the holiday season and the drought.
Dr Alexander said discussions around changing the date started in early 2019 when there were concerns about the future of the event.
"I was starting to get a bit concerned that we were having more difficulty finding sponsors particularly, because there was so much donation fatigue in the town," he said.
He added that he also considered the idea of holding Relay for Life every second year instead of annually.
It was around August-September that the decision was made to hold the 2020 event in November.
"We looked around and we thought that, November, it's not quite the Christmas crazy period and hopefully, with all the other things being over by mid year, we'll have a better opportunity to find more sponsors and give us the chance to get more teams," Dr Alexander said.
The committee hopes to officially launch Relay for Life in April.
Although the Relay is being held at a different time of year, the same venue will still be used.
The All Saints campus of Scots All Saints College will host the event, which starts from 10am on November 7 and finishes at 10am the next morning.
In addition to changing the date, Dr Alexander said the 2020 Relay for Life will have a bigger focus on musical entertainment.
"Bathurst has a number of quality musicians and we already have had expressions of interest from some bands that performed last year, and we are in the process of contacting more," he said.
"If anyone is interested in donating their time to this very worthwhile event, then please contact Nicola [Taylor] on (02) 6392 0800 or through the Bathurst Relay Facebook page."
In 2019, Bathurst raised over $55,000 and in some years has been capable of raising in excess of $100,000.
Dr Alexander feels that Relay for Life holds a special place in hearts of community members.
"I've been involved with it now for six or seven years and I just think it's one of the very best events in town because it involves everyone, from young kids, to parents, to grandparents," he said.
To sign up for the 2020 Relay for Life event, visit www.cancercouncil.org.au/Bathurstrelay.
