SOME 189 relayers in 17 teams have raised $32,570, after 12 hours walking laps of Nelson Park in the return of the Portland and District Relay for Life.

Relay committee chair Kathryn Oswald said the committee were thrilled with the result.

“It was really lovely to see the relay back and to be able to raise you know, over $30,000 in the first relay is absolutely amazing,” Ms Oswald said.

“Normally we have 12 months to prepare, that certainly wasn’t the case this time - to come up with that amount really is brilliant.”

The support of family and friends in memory of people who had lost their battle to cancer was particularly touching, Ms Oswald said.

“They’ve lost loved ones and have every right to take a step back, but they are here despite that, fighting for everyone else.”

The pandemic forced a two-year hiatus of the event and unsurprisingly numbers were down on pre COVID years, but Ms Oswald said the challenge now was to rebuild a strong committee and boost team numbers to come back bigger than ever for the relay’s 21st  year in 2024.

The committee is on the lookout for new members, including a new chair, Ms Oswald said.