Organizers gearing up for ‘Relay for Life’

With even more teams signed up than last year’s inaugural event, the second-annual “Relay for Life,” set to go June 21-22 at Pither’s Point Park, is well on its way to meeting the $80,000 goal.
So far, 36 teams (10-12 people each) have signed up for the fundraiser for cancer research and treatment, up slightly from the 32 that raised a whopping $75,000 for the Canadian Cancer Society last year.
“There’s quite a few new teams this year so it will be nice to see some new faces,” said co-ordinator Sue Danku. “You know, 40 teams would be great.”
Teams can register up until two weeks before the event, and Danku said she’d love to see even more people come out.
“They’re really excited and the fundraising is going well,” Danku said last week.
The public is invited to join the teams at the site, especially for the lighting of the luminaries—in honour of those who have survived cancer and those who have not.
Last year, all of the 11,000 luminaries were sold. To avoid selling out this year, Danku said 15,000-18,000 will be on sale at various locations around town.
Danku said she has been impressed by the support she’s received from sponsors such as the Royal Canadian Legion Br. #29, the Rainy River Future Development Corp., and the Fort Frances Kiwanis Club.
This year, Pharmasave is the event sponsor and Danku said she’s been overwhelmed with the staff’s commitment to the cause.
“They’ve been so wonderful. They jumped on the committee, attend every meeting, [and] offered the store for teams to come and fundraise,” she noted.
“The ‘Relay for Life’ did such a great job last year that we definitely wanted to be involved in it and help keep it up,” said Pharmasave manager Nancy Kehler.
Kehler said both the local store and the national chain tried to focus on community involvement and this event seemed to fit with that theme.
Staff are volunteering to light the luminaries and help with anything else that’s needed. They also are allowing teams to use the store as a way to raise money.
“The ‘Sisters of Hope’ will be having a bake sale May 25,” Kehler noted.
Danku said participants already are out raising money and that it would be no time before the event was upon us.
“It’s getting busy now. It’s hard to believe that it’s only five weeks away now,” she remarked.