UQWellness eMag Nov 25 - Flipbook - Page 37
“We are so proud that what began as a local
walk in memory of our son is now a national
event bringing together families and
communities to help save lives from
melanoma.’
James Economides, Co-Founder of
Melanoma March
In the words of Chinese philosopher Lao
Tzu, 8the journey of a thousand miles begins
with one step.9 That one step was first taken
on the beachfront of Sydney9s iconic Manly
Beach in March 2012. Local businessman
James Economides gathered friends and local
community members together to walk in
memory of his son Michael, who was just 20
years old when he passed away from
melanoma.
In 2026, Melanoma March will celebrate its
15th anniversary. For James Economides, it9s
a time to reflect on the impact the campaign
has had in raising awareness about sun
safety, and helping fuel life-saving research.
8We are so proud that what began as a local
walk in memory of our son is now a national
event bringing together families and
communities to help save lives from
melanoma,9 James said.
8Over the years, the campaign has raised
close to $10 million which has fuelled
research projects and clinical guidelines
which have directly changed the trajectory of
melanoma treatment and patient care across
the country.
James turned his grief into action, and with
the Manly community by his side, Melanoma
March was born.
8What an incredible legacy for Michael, and
the thousands of other Australians who have
passed away from melanoma.9
8We wanted to do something to remember
Michael, and others lost to melanoma, and
also try to make a difference to prevent other
families going through what we had,9 James
said.
MELANOMA FACTS
8That first event at Manly, alongside my cofounder Jay Allen who was working at
Melanoma Institute Australia, we literally put
one foot in front of the other and were
buoyed by the wonderful support from our
family, friends and the local community who
turned out to walk alongside us.9
What began as a single event along one
beachfront promenade is now a national
campaign. Each March, families and
communities around the country join forces
for their local Melanoma March event to
raise awareness about melanoma, remember
loved ones lost to the disease, and
importantly, raise vital funds to support the
groundbreaking work of Melanoma Institute
Australia.
Melanoma is the most deadly form of skin
cancer and Australia has the highest
melanoma rates in the world. One Australian
is diagnosed with melanoma every 30
minutes, and one Australian dies from the
disease every 6 hours.
Over exposure to harmful UV from the sun is
the biggest risk factor for developing
melanoma.
While melanoma does impact older
Australians, many of whom spent decades
enjoying our 8great outdoors9 with scant
regard for sun safety, a little-known fact is
that melanoma is the most common cancer
impacting 20-to-39-year-old Australians.
Less than a decade ago, advanced melanoma
was an almost certain death sentence, with
patients rarely surviving more than a few
months.
