Sandra Smyth (l) and Annie McGee (centre) say they are lucky to be able to do the Survivors Lap.
For the past 8 years the community has joined forces at CFB North Bay to pull an all nighter for the Canadian Cancer Society’s signature fundraising event the ‘Relay for Life’ – a relay that last for 12 hours each year but has no finish line until there is a cure for all types of cancer.
Walking around the grounds milling through ‘Tent City’, and talking with people young and old, anyone would be hard pressed to find someone in the crowd who doesn’t have a story about cancer to share.
For some the story is of survival, for others a story of loss, but for YMCA team member Shawna Latimer the Relay for Life it is a story of celebrating life. The team lost a member to cancer earlier in the week and buried there good friend Friday morning.
“She went from being on that poster (honour) last year to being on that poster (memory) this year ... It was really hard, but it was also inspirational at the same time because we’re here for her.”
“We also have a survivor on our team as well, and she’s actually our captain this year and I think it’s been a little bit harder on her today than it has on majority of us. She’s a trooper too and we’ll be walking here all night and we’ll be here for breakfast,” adds Latimer.
Cancer doesn’t discriminate it attacks everyone – young, old, fit and vulnerable and it leaves a path of sorrow and confusion in its wake. At 12-years-old Alexandra Campbell already knows the pain of the disease and why it was important to put together her own team for the relay.
“Because my friend, well she is my neighbour actually, she got cancer and she got really close to me and she died in April. And this is what it’s about for me.”
“She did take medicine but I think they found it too late ... so she’s up there,” states the expressive 12 year old.
“If you’re in it (the relay) it’s more emotional than you think ... like when I came here and I looked over all these people, in my mind I hadn’t imagined all these people and all these blue shirts with the cancer survivor pin on it ... it’s just so amazing because it’s kind of scary that all those people went through cancer and survived ... because it is such a deadly disease.”
Nipissing-Timiskaming M.P. Anthony Rota agrees that it is a deadly disease but says he finds solace by being in the company of others during the Survivor’s Lap.
“It’s great ... you’re out there, you know you’ve gone through it and you’re not alone and many more can do it.”
“It’s important that we keep fighting and that we make this lap because what happens is it shows everyone that we can fight this and we can win. It’s not about giving up that’s what we have to remember, we have to fight no matter what ... we have to fight back like the slogan says tonight ... we have to fight through research, through treatment and through prevention.”
Through levity and love the survivors circled the track all the while knowing they are the lucky ones.
“When’s it going to rain,” laughs cancer survivor Paige Shemilt as she gets ready to take the lap.
“It’s always the same idea that you think about (when taking the lap) that everyone is there cheering you on and they have an idea of what you’ve gone through ... and when you are together with all of these survivors you know that they know exactly what you’ve gone through. And it’s just nice to know that you’ve got people their supporting you.”
“I’m lucky to be here to do it again ... it’s just a great feeling and it’s great to walk with the other survivors year after year so it’s fantastic,” says survivor Annie McGee.
McGee says it is hard and emotional to circle the track without thinking about the friends who didn’t win the battle.
“Well they are in our thoughts and we’re lucky that we’re here and we’ll never forget them that’s why we’re here we’re walking for them.”
Survivor Sandra Smyth agrees that emotions boil to the top when walking a lap without certain close friends.
“I’m feeling a little sad,” she says holding a banner for her good friend Jackie who lost her battle a short time ago, “... and looking forward to a very inspiring night.”
“It’s tricky, you don’t know why you’re lucky... it’s certainly not for a pure lack of support, but I guess some good wish or some prayer just came at the right time for me when I was really down .”
As of 7:00 a.m. Saturday morning the results from the 2008 Relay for Life are:
Number of survivors: 225 Number of teams: 100 Monies raised from luminaries sold: $3,223 Total monies raised: $210,000
