On Saturday, May 11, Newhaven on Katherine's Gorge Road will be coming alive again for its annual Biggest Morning Tea Cancer Council fundraiser.
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What started off with an invitation to family members and neighbours 14 years ago, has grown into one of the most anticipated gatherings in the Katherine events calendar.
Over the past 13 years of morning teas, passionate organiser Bess Hart has raised more than $100,000.
Born and bred in the Northern Territory in the midst of the second World War, Mrs Hart spent her formative years in Alice Springs before living on Hodgson River Station with her family for 35 years.
She and her late husband Ted moved to the outskirts of Katherine in 2008 and quickly became a well-known and popular part of the community.
"We got to know Katherine... we knew other people and just liked it," Mrs Hart said.
"We had a cemetery out at Hodgson River and we planned to live there and die there... [moving] was the best thing that could have happened."
These days Mrs Hart regularly enters her cooking in the Katherine Show, and wouldn't live anywhere else.
And it the community spirit in Katherine that motivated her to keep giving back.
She first started hosting her now famous Morning Tea 14 years ago together with Ted, who passed away in 2017.
But the humble Katherinite said she was is not letting age or Ted's passing get in the way of what has become a local tradition to raise much-needed funds for cancer research and support.
"People (at the morning tea) said 'this will be your last year won't it? It's getting a bit much.'"
"I said 'no, why should I stop?'"
"Just because Ted died, cancer doesn't stop."
Mrs Hart said she loved hosting the event, not just because of the cause, but because it is an opportunity for the community to get together.
"When we first heard about it we thought 'oh yes we've both got cancer in parts of the family'. We just thought 'oh well we'll have a cuppa and invite our family.' It sort of grew," she said.
"People come along and sit around the table and say 'g'day, haven't seen you for a while.' It's a good day.
"I've had a very happy, very good life and Katherine is a good town and I just thought 'I want to give something back.'"
