After seeing an advert on television for Relay For Life, the Norwood girl asked her parents what it was. They explained and she said, “I want to do it”.

Her parents told her it was on her birthday weekend, but Saffron said she didn’t want a birthday party. 

“She wanted to do the relay instead of a birthday, to raise money for people with ‘sick blood’,” her mother Bec Bailey said.

Saffron has continued a tradition of participating in the Relay For Life every second year since then, instead of a birthday party.

Now age eight, this weekend will be her third relay.

“My mum’s dad died of cancer and my cousin survived cancer,” Saffron said.

“I wanted to help and I thought, I could raise money. It’s saving lives.”

For her first relay, on the weekend of her fourth birthday, Saffron’s parents drove the fundraising side of it while she gathered friends and family to participate.

The second time, Saffron had the idea of spiralling apples and selling them trackside to raise money.

This year, she has taken a lot more on, going to meetings and contacting businesses, asking for donations for an online auction.

Ms Bailey said Saffron’s cousin, Bella, was diagnosed with a form of leukaemia before Saffron was born.

“She’s a survivor and is now 11,” Ms Bailey said. “We put a lot of energy into the survival side of it.”

Saffron’s team Happy Feet will participate in the Launceston relay this weekend at the Northern Athletics Centre at St Leonards, from 2pm Saturday to 10am on Sunday.

The relay raises funds for the Cancer Council.

There are 72 teams and 1112 participants signed up for this year’s Launceston Relay For Life.

So far, $140,000 of the $190,000 goal has been raised.

Cancer Council Tasmania project manager Sheila Tivan said the relay was a way of “fighting back against cancer”.

“People do it to remember those who they’ve lost, and do it for hope,” she said.