To raise awareness for the importance of sun safety Hastings local and melanoma patient, Paula Jackson is calling on people to march with her on March 25.

The march usually takes place in Bonny Hills, but the move to Port Macquarie in 2018 is hoped to ensure more people come and participate.

“I have been organising the march for a number of years because from personal experience I know how important sun safety and early detection of skin cancer is,” Ms Jackson said. 

“On average 30 Australians will be diagnosed with skin cancer every day and nearly 1200 will die each year.”

Ms Jackson has been battling melanoma for nine and a half years after she noticed an unusual mole on her ankle in 2008.

“After I was diagnosed, I had surgery and needed to have a larger section of skin removed from my ankle as well as lymph nodes removed from my groin,” she said.

In July 2012 Ms Jackson noticed a lump in the exact same spot as the mole she had removed on her ankle, and tests would confirm her melanoma had returned as a tumour on her ankle, behind her knee and on her c7 vertebrae.

Ms Jackson was placed on a clinical trial by Melanoma Institute Australia, and is still on that trial today.

During this period Ms Jackson’s sister Sue was also diagnosed with melanoma and was placed on a clinical trial. Sadly, Sue did not respond to the trial, during which her melanoma spread through her bones, organs and brain. Sue then lost her battle with melanoma in 2013, aged 47.

“The Melanoma March each year raises vital funds for life-saving research and to generate awareness about the importance of regular skin checks. 

"We need to continue raising funds to find a cure for this deadly disease and show those currently living with melanoma, and those families and friends that have been affected, that they are not alone.”

This year’s march will start and finish at the breakwall in Port Macquarie with breakfast after the march supplied by the Breakwall HQ cafe.

The walk is also sponsored by Discovery Early Education and Care Centres, which will be holding walks with the children attending the centre each day leading up to the March.

“I work at Discovery early Education and Care Centres and when they found out about the march they were very keen to jump on board,” she said.

“We are a sun safety centre and in the lead up to the march we will will marching around outside and talking to the children about the importance of sun safety.”

Registrations for the march on March 25 are now open and you can also register on the day from 8am.

For more information on how to register or donate to the to the march online click here.