The morning walk around the lake was part of a national event to raise $1 million to support a world-first personalised immunotherapy clinical trial for advanced melanoma patients.

Similar events have been held in Wagga over the past 12 years but this was the first of its kind under a new name following a merger between the Amie St Clair Melanoma Trust and Melanoma Institute Australia.

The Melanoma Trust charity was set up in honour Amie St Clair, who died in 2009 at the age of 23 after a three-year battle with melanoma.

Trust director and mum to Amie, Annette St Clair, said the Melanoma March had now replaced the previous 'Lap the Lake for Melanoma' events.

"Due to COVID, this our first combined Melanoma March. We've had 60 walkers, which is down on previous years but we're very happy with that," she said.

"We have also had the Easy Riders motorbike group do a Poker Run ... we probably had 40 motorbikes here and they've headed via Junee to Temora and back."

The group walking around Lake Albert included those who had been diagnosed with melanoma and those walking for somebody they knew who was battling cancer.

Barmedman farmer Lewis Heinjus, who took part in the march, had been diagnosed with stage four melanoma.

"It originally started with a mole on my temple in 2011 and then subsequently in 2017 I got diagnosed with stage four which was metastasized," he said.

"I've had a complete metabolic response to immunotherapy treatment and I have been good for 18 months.

"I'm committed to the Melanoma March because I need people to understand there is are really good things happening in science and research but we need more. It's imperative."

Half of advanced melanoma patients do not respond, or become resistant to, life-saving immunotherapy.

The Amie St Clair Trust and Melanoma Institute are planning a clinical trial to test personalised immunotherapy designed to ensure patients get effective treatment the first time.

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