The emotion of the Relay for Life is something you have to experience to fully understand.
The 2012 edition of the Canadian Cancer Society fundraiser takes place June 1 at the Maxville Fairgrounds and June 15 at Farran Park in Ingleside.
Sharyn Duffey, fundraising co-ordinator for the local cancer society office, said the evening is something special for everyone who attends.
“I don’t know anyone who is standing there who isn’t awestruck,” Duffey said in an interview, adding some 400 cancer survivors are honoured at the beginning of the night for the “Survivor’s Walk” around the track at the fairgrounds in Maxville. “It’s really something to see. It’s very emotional.
“It really is the reason we do the walk.”
The other reason is financial.
The Relay for Life is the cancer society’s chief fundraising event. Last year it brought in some $577,000 from both the Maxville and Ingleside events.
“The two relays are the leading events that bring in our revenue for the year,” said Duffey.
The revenue helps the cancer society fund treatment options, awareness campaigns and the like.
The Maxville relay is undergoing a bit of a change this year. Duffey said those who have registered for the event and plan to stay the night have been assigned a place to pitch their tent for the evening.
She said it eliminates the need to rush for a spot, and will also help transform the fairgrounds into a “City of Hope.”
For more on the relay, check out www.cancer.ca.
