Survivor runs 628km for research

Garry Lawton is painting thumbs orange on his run from Rockhampton to Brisbane to raise funds for cancer charities.

Scottie Simmonds

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• Painting the city for charity

NOT many long-distance runners would consider a bottle of orange nail polish to be a vital piece of equipment.

But Bundaberg cancer survivor Garry Lawton has packed 80 of them as he sets out on a 628km run — from the Rockhampton headquarters of Camp Quality to the Wesley Hospital in Brisbane.

He is taking his “Orange Thumb” campaign on the road to raise money for the Briz Brain and Spine Research Foundation and Camp Quality, taking donations in exchange for a single-digit makeover.

“Last year I started collecting money from people for painting their thumbnails orange, and I raised $3800 in a week,” Mr Lawton said.

“So this year, I decided to run from the Camp Quality offices (in Rockhampton) to the Wesley Hospital, and paint thumbnails along the way, to raise even more money.”

Mr Lawton has worn orange polish on both thumbnails every day since launching the campaign, to raise awareness of his project.

“I jump over the fence once a week and my neighbours put it on for me,” he said.

Mr Lawton, who has survived three brain tumours, said he was inspired to raise funds after seeing the excellent work that Camp Quality did for kids with cancer.

“My goal is to help as many people as I can, so I’m giving 40% to the research group and 60% to Camp Quality,” he said.

“I don’t want to get to the end of my life and think, ‘I should have done more’.”

Mr Lawton said he had no idea how much he would raise, but he planned to stop at shopping centres along the route to raise awareness of his campaign.

His support team will be clearly visible as he runs, because the vehicle is plastered with bright orange stickers for the kids’ support group.

Mr Lawton said he and his driver would be “leapfrogging” for the first part of the trip, with the support car stopping every 12km while Mr Lawton ran.

“It’s a bit like facing cancer — it’s two steps forward, one step back,” he said.

“I’ve been training since November. Any other time I feel off-balance, but when I’m running, I feel fine.”

He will set out from Rockhampton on Sunday, and will run in to Bundaberg to be at the Hinkler Central Shopping Centre on May 14 and 15, before heading to Childers on May 17.

For more information or to donate, visit www.bbsresearch.com.au or www.campquality.org.au.