The biggest news about this year's Weyburn Relay For Life fundraiser is the venue change, as it will be held at Crescent Point Place in the Exhibition Grounds on Friday and Saturday, June 10 and 11. Moisture issues with River Park were the reason for the change.
"The Canadian Cancer Society's Relay For Life is more than just a fundraiser, it is a community event which gives family, friends and the entire community the opportunity to get together to celebrate cancer survivors, remember loved ones lost to cancer, and fight back against this disease," said Margaret Hill, manager of the Southeast Unit of the Canadian Cancer Society.
"We will still have a track for teams to walk around, that will be lined with luminaries," said Stefany Hovanak, chair of Relay For Life. The one advantage of being indoors is "we won't have to worry about the bugs, or about noise control. Hopefully all the teams will have so much to do they won't have time to sleep," said Hovanak.
Setting up for Relay For Life will start at 7 a.m. on Friday morning. Volunteers will organize the luminaries around the indoor track, and form the word "Hope". This will be in the bleachers of Crescent Point Place, overlooking the track.
Registration for the teams will begin at 6 p.m., with all participants required to gather at Crescent Point Place before 6:30 p.m. Then at 7 p.m., the opening ceremonies and survivors Victory Lap will take place.
"We look forward to seeing the sea of yellow T-shirts walking the Victory Lap. The yellow T-shirts are significant as they send a very important message of hope," said Hill. "Survivors are evidence of the progress we are making in the fight against cancer."
There are 15 teams currently registered for the event. All the participating team members will have an opportunity to warm up for the evening with representatives from In Motion before the Victory Lap.
To inspire teams during Relay For Life, there will be a variety of activities and entertainment, including team games, children's activities, face painting and a silent auction. A variety of local talent will entertain throughout the evening.
The Mission Integration program, formerly known as Cancer Knowledge Zone, will have the theme of "Be Active and Eat Well". The goal of the program is to help residents prevent up to 30 per cent of cancers by learning how to stay active in their lives, and eating healthy foods.
There will be visual information presented during the program, and teams will be able to complete 'passports' by participating in a number of activities offered by Mission Integration.
Both the entertainment and Mission Integration program will be located inside the track, while the plan is to set up 'tent city' into the bleachers (separate from the 'Hope' luminaries).
The luminary ceremony will take place at 10 p.m. Residents will gather at the remembrance ceremony, where special guests will speak on their fight against cancer. Then for the luminary ceremony, residents will leave from the remembrance ceremony as a group, and start lighting the trail paths and the "Hope" candles.
"The names on the luminaries that will light up the sky at night are also a reminder of how much more we have to accomplish in reducing the number of people diagnosed with cancer and our commitment to helping people as they go through their journey," said Hill.
At midnight, lunch will be served to all Relay team members to keep them nourished to continue their efforts on the track. In the morning participants will have breakfast at 6 a.m., attend the awards ceremonies and closing ceremonies, and participate in the "Fight Back" ceremony and final lap.
Survivors and volunteers can register for Relay For Life by contacting the Southeast Unit of the Canadian Cancer Society office in Weyburn. Luminaries will be available for purchase up to the day of the event at the office, and will be on-site at Crescent Point Place until 10 p.m.
All the funds from Relay For Life return back to the Canadian Cancer Society to search for a cure, promote research and education, and support families of cancer patients. From the funds raised, 97 cents of every dollar is spent right here in the province.
Relay teams had their "bank day" on Monday, where they submitted the majority of their funds into the Relay account.
"Relay For Life brings a sense of awareness that there is progress being made against all types of cancer," said Hill. "Many of the participants at Relay this year will be people who have dealt with cancer themselves. It's never too late to join our fight. With more help, we will continue to win the war."
