Melanoma is often referred to as “Australia’s national cancer”, with someone diagnosed with the disease every 30 minutes and someone dying from it every six hours, according to the Melanoma Institute Australia.

The institute’s vital research into the disease supports its mission to achieve zero deaths from melanoma, and the organisation is calling on the Dubbo community to get behind local efforts to raise funds for research through the annual Melanoma March.

The family-friendly walking event will be held locally in Dubbo on Saturday, March 14, and is one of many such events being held around Australia during the month of March.

Toni McMillan is one of the organising committee for the Dubbo Melanoma March, now in its sixth year. The proprietor of the popular Colour Copy Shop is a melanoma survivor who is still dealing with the disease and its impacts some 18 years after a melanoma was first discovered on her back.

“Once it metastasizes, it's in your bloodstream, it's in your lymph system, and it's the cells. That’s devastating, but then you just have to keep going,” Toni explained.

Toni and her family, including husband Aaron McMillan, daughter Emily Gaydon, and sister Tracy Davis are big supporters of the Melanoma March and first became involved with it in Newcastle in 2017.

“So 2017 was our first march in Newcastle, and when they decided to start it in Dubbo, that's when we got involved. And then after their first march, we got involved in the committee,” she added.

She credits the march starting in Dubbo following the passing of Carrie-Ann Beggs, whose wish was to get the word out about melanoma and to save lives.

Toni, Emily and Tracy are all part of the Dubbo Melanoma March organising committee and are looking forward to the next march in just over a week’s time. They have 80 people in “Team Wilcox”, and expect more than 150 people to join the march.

Last year’s event raised $91,000 from the efforts of local participants, and organisers hope to equal or better this amount in 2026. At the time of writing, more than $10,000 has already been raised.

Prospective participants should note that this year’s march has a different route from previous events due to the Titan Macquarie Mud Run also being held on the same day.

The Melanoma March will leave from Lions Park in West Dubbo, travel down to the Emile Serisier Bridge and on to Ollie Robbins Oval, before returning.

“It’s about 3.5 kilometres,” Toni added.

A barbecue, coffee van and ice-cream van will await those on their return to Lions Park.

Toni’s message to the community is very simple: understand and practice sun safety and have annual skin checks.

“Cover up when you’re outside, wear a hat and sunscreen, and get yearly skin checks. That's really important, because doctors didn’t think it was a melanoma on my back, but it was,” Toni concluded.

Further information about the event, or to register and donate, can be found on the event website at https://dubbo.melanomamarch.org.au.