Coming to the party? Mother’s Day Classic at thousands of locations
This year, the Mother's Day Classic is being staged at tens of thousands of locations. Photo: Getty
Half the world might be living behind closed doors, but life goes on with its every-day routines and demands.
We’re not on holiday, just doing things differently. Community by video-link is now a staple: Dinner parties and happy hours and just hanging out with the family members who you can’t otherwise touch and hold right now.
We’re all making do.
People who were coming to terms with a cancer diagnosis a couple of months ago are still out there, with their fears and hopes and determination.
They’re missing out on a lot of hugs. But they’re soaking up what love and encouragement that can be provided via video apps.
Which brings us to the Mother’s Day Classic. Not just a sporting event, it’s about sharing stories and feeling a part of something bigger.
This year, generating that sense of belonging and deeper community is more important than ever.
Within two days of social restrictions being announced for some states, the Mother’s Day Classic said it would go ahead for 2020, as a virtual event adapted to circumstances.
“We looked at what is the heart of our mission and that is bringing people together,” Mother’s Day Classic chief executive Zara Lawless said.
Uniting people around the cause of fighting breast cancer, and celebrating the lives of those touched by breast cancer.
“We knew straight away that those things were our core. And we could do them in a virtual sense,” she said.
“It means, this year, as with any other year, we’re challenging people to get active and stay connected.”
Ordinarily, the MDC is staged at a 100 locations across Australia.
This year it’s being staged at tens of thousands: In people’s backyards, their lounge rooms and on the track at the local park.
People registered for the event (easy to do) will have access to a virtual online portal containing exercise videos, yoga, Pilates and fitness strength classes, and cooking videos and messages of inspiration associated with the cause.
On the morning of the event, participants will be asked to join a massive warm-up at a live Facebook page.
Then, they will run or walk or dance their four or eight kilometres as best they can: Be it following a route through the house, to the garden and back again, or taking to the street, using the route that they have established for their daily exercise.
There will be a two-hour community radio program broadcasting live from 10am, opening with the welcome to country and including interviews with many from the MDC support community and those touched by breast cancer. They are also inviting participants to call in from around the country to share their virtual challenge experience.
At the end of the walking and running and dancing, people are invited to post photographs and videos of their morning’s activities.
This will be the magical element, a massive show and tell party that makes plain that we care for one another, and we’re there for one another.
In other circumstances, we might talk of the party going viral. In this instance, let’s just say: Here is life at its best.
The New Daily is a media partner of the Women in Super Mother’s Day Classic Virtual, which happens online across Australia on Sunday, May 10, raising money for the National Breast Cancer Foundation to help fund breast cancer research. Register here.