THEY come from all walks of life, and have carried a sense of national and community pride in a symbol of sportsmanship.
About 80 people are taking part in the Queen’s Baton Relay as it moves through the northern suburbs, with the first group carrying the Commonwealth Games baton along the coast from Scarborough to Hillarys yesterday.
Get in front of tomorrow's news for FREE
Journalism for the curious Australian across politics, business, culture and opinion.
READ NOWSunday marked the 350th day since the baton left Buckingham Palace with a message for competitors in the April games on the Gold Coast hidden inside.
Sally Pilbeam carried the baton into Whitfords Nodes Park on Sunday evening and said she had done her first run in the park before that led to her success as a paratriathlete.
“It’s such an amazing thing to be a part of, to achieve that finish line feeling,” she said.
City of Joondalup Mayor Albert Jacob said the baton bearers were all “everyday people … who have done extraordinary things in our community”.
Mr Jacob said they carried the message of peace and friendly competition in the baton.
He said the council had decided five days earlier to make the park a health and wellbeing hub with a fitness staircase going to the top of one of the foreshore dunes.
Today the relay will continue through Quinns Rocks and Wanneroo before finishing in Guildford this evening.
The City of Wanneroo is hosting community celebrations at two locations on February 26 and both will have entertainment, food and drinks available while waiting for the baton to arrive.
Wanneroo Library will host a range of children’s activities based on the Gold Coast 2018 mascot, Borobi, including koala puppets, books and colouring-in for young children, as well as a Commonwealth Games activity booklet for older children.
The celebration at the Quinns Mindarie foreshore will run from 9.45am to 10.45am, with the baton due to arrive about 10.34am.
Entertainment will include African drumming, face-painting and children’s entertainment.
At the Jacaranda Amphitheatre in Wanneroo, entertainment will include Challenge Brass Band between 11.30am and 12.30pm.
There will be rolling road closures through Quinns Rocks, part of Mindarie and Wanneroo as the relay moves through the area.
Visit www.gc2018.com/qbr for more information.