ONE of Warwick's biggest community fundraisers had been called off. 

Southern Downs Relay for Life organisers announced the event was cancelled for 2017 following lengthy consultation from the volunteer committee. 

After a mammoth event in 2015, the Cancer Council event was set to be revived on September 9-10.   

The Southern Downs committee announced the news in a post on its Facebook page. 

"We want to reassure the community that Cancer Council is here to stay in the region," it read. 

"We are encouraging past and present Relay For Life participants to join our passionate Warwick Volunteer Branch, who will continue to fundraise locally." 

Warwick Cancer Council branch president Jan Byrne said the decision was a difficult one.  

"We had tried to get a committee together from March and have been doing as much as we can to get the event out there," Mrs Byrne said. 

"There just wasn't as much interest this year - I'm not 100% sure but possibly because we did have a few big years where businesses gave very generously. 

"It is very disappointing to see, but I will always thank the people of Warwick. 

"They always give when they can and we look forward to them giving again generously in future." 

Relay for Life has teams walk continuously around a track overnight, symbolic of the hardship of battling cancer.  

Mrs Byrne said the local branch would push to revive the event in years to come.  

"We won't be doing anything this year to give people a bit of a break," she said. 

"I think to have a two or three hour event in place of this year's relay would not be in the spirit of the event - Relay for Life is all about pushing people out of their comfort zone and showing them how hard it is to go through cancer. 

"In our first three years we were close to raising $200,000 so we will definitely look to get it back up and running in a few years time." 

Donations to the event will also still be possible.

Those already registered for this year's Relay For Life can receive a refund by phoning Cancer Council's Fundraising Hotline on 1300 65 65 85.