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They came, they saw, they relayed their hearts out

Once again residents gathered at the CFB soccer field Friday night to celebrate battles won, remember loved ones lost and send a message to cancer that their work is not finished and they will continue to fight back.
Kate Adams
Once again residents gathered at the CFB soccer field Friday night to celebrate battles won, remember loved ones lost and send a message to cancer that their work is not finished and they will continue to fight back.

This year marked 13th year of Relay for Life, the Canadian Cancer Society’s signature fundraiser, a relay that sees participants pull an all-nighter for a race that has no finish line until there is a cure for all types of cancer.

78 teams and 175 Survivors not only circled the track for 12 hours but at the same time milled around ‘Tent City’ talking with people young and old, sharing their stories of cancer battles won and lost.

Honorary Chair and two-time cancer survivor Anthony Rota says while the event is an important fundraiser for the Cancer Society it is equally important to the wellbeing of the community as a whole.

“The dollars are important because we have to fight cancer but when you start off here, I mean you come in and you see all us people in yellow shirts and we’re the survivors and you look around and you think you know what I’m not alone I’ve got people here who’ve fought cancer and we can beat it,” he explains.

“And for people who have just started with cancer (treatments) they can look around and say you know what Damn It I can do this, so it just brings them up, and the nice thing to is celebrating the people who helped them out their family their friends because you can’t do this alone.”

Honorary Survivor Dr. Mike Leckie agrees that seeing the sea of yellow shirts offers hope that cancer can be beaten.

He is not a hundred percent convinced cancer will be eradicated completely but with new drugs, techniques and therapies he thinks the war with cancer is being won.

“I think the bottom line is cancer can be beaten. I think we’re … I think when you say there’s going to be a cure for cancer I’m not so sure but cancer can be beaten and I think the idea tonight is hope.”



At the conclusion of the event 7am Saturday morning $232,000 had been raised.