The 16th annual Relay for Life in Chatham is little more than two months away, but preparations are well underway.
Cindy Vinall of the Canadian Cancer Society confirmed the event will take place on Fri., June 22, from 6 p.m. to midnight at the Chatham-Kent Secondary School track.
Relay has evolved over the years, going from a 12-hour event that took place from 7 p.m. on a Friday night to 7 a.m. on the Saturday morning, to the condensed version that now takes place.
“Feedback from participants when it was a 12-hour event was that it was a great event, but let’s condense it,” Vinall said. “They like the six hours on a Friday night. It gives them the weekend still.”
Vinall said the overall support from the community has evolved over the years, but one thing remains constant – how close cancer has touched us all.
“How many people do you know who have not been impacted by cancer,” she asked.
In fact, with our aging population, Vinall said it’s only going to get worse.
“By 2030, one in two Canadians will have had cancer in their lifetime,” she said.
While the incidence of cancer is on the rise, so too is the survivor rate. Vinall said in the 1940s, a person’s chance of beating cancer was just 25 per cent. Today, that number is more than 60 per cent.
“That’s amazing progress, but there’s still work to be done,” she said.
With the shift to the six-hour event, Vinall said annual proceeds have been steady at between $87,000 and $88,000. She expects similar results this year.
Will it remain a six-hour affair? Vinall said there is a youth movement that is reinvigorating Relay for Life these days locally. Participation from high-school aged teens is on the rise. And with the influx of youth comes a request for Relay to return to its roots.
“More young people are getting involved and some are requesting getting the 12-hour event back.”
Vinall said some of the requests to return to the overnight event are coming from very familiar faces as well.
“We have a Year One team that said that now that their grandkids are older, they want the 12-hour Relay back,” she said.
However Relay evolves, it will do so because of public response.
“This is a community event that’s held to raise awareness and funds. We want to keep it to what the community wants, and to be consistent,” Vinall said.
She added the local business community continues to strongly support Relay, donating food and materials to help make the event a success.
Vinall said the power of positive thinking has showcased itself time and again at Relay. She said in one instance, a young woman suffering from cancer was to the point chemotherapy was no longer working, and she came out to Relay with her family that year.
“They brought her out. She wanted her family to have the support of Relay,” she said. “She’s still with us today.”
The Cancer Society is still accepting team entries. For more information or to register, visit www.cancer.ca/en/events/on/relay-for-life/relay-for-life-in-chatham/?region=on.
Even though it is a six-hour events, Vinall suggests teams bring a portable tent or shelter.
“It’s a place for a team to come together,” she said.
Vinall also encourages cancer survivors to attend and to participate in the Survivor Lap, and asks that they register, to ensure the Cancer Society doesn’t miss anyone.
