When Estevan decided not to host a Relay for Life this year, it appeared that the southeast would be without the fundraiser for the Canadian Cancer Society for the first time in more than a decade.
But the student leadership council (SLC) at Midale Central School, with the assistance of the school’s teachers, have stepped forward to host the fundraiser in Midale. And they have some big expectations.
“It has affected a lot of people in our town, so we want to commemorate those people and raise money in their honour.” Jade Ivan.
Midale’s inaugural Relay for Life will take place on June 18 from noon to midnight behind the school and in the gymnasium. While it is being organized by the school, they hope to have teams from throughout the southeast.
About a dozen teams are already registered, and they hope to have at least 50 teams participating.
“We’re setting up a big festival area in the back of our school,” said Midale teacher Jade Ivan, who is also involved with the event. “We’ll have tents, a track, a stage for entertainment, a canteen, a food centre and we’ll have lots of games set up throughout.”
Emily Wiebe and Linda Siemens, who are Grade 10 students at the school, are part of the Midale SLC. The two students, along with the rest of the SLC, have been actively promoting the event.
Wiebe is pleased with the preparations that have occurred thus far, with the fundraisers they have hosted already and the teams that have registered.
“I think it’s important because it all goes to a good cause, and it helps people,” said Wiebe.
Siemens hopes to see a strong turnout for Midale’s Relay, so they can raise money for the fight against cancer.
“We all have to watch out for the people in this world, and take care of them, so raising money for the fight against cancer … will be a really big help,” said Siemens.
The SLC is dedicating a lot of time to the event. They are meeting almost every day after school.
The support so far has been great.
“Some of the students are having their own teams because they want to help out so much,” said Siemens.
This will be the first time either student has been involved with a Relay for Life, and they are looking forward to it.
Jade Ivan noted the students in the SLC really wanted to be part of a Relay for Life this year.
“We went online and researched, and there wasn’t an available Relay for Life in our area, so they decided they wanted to host one,” said Ivan.
This is the first time in a decade that Estevan hasn’t held a Relay, while Weyburn’s last Relay was in 2013.
Midale’s Relay for Life will feature many of the attributes of a traditional Relay. Registration will begin at noon and opening ceremonies are at 1 p.m. A cancer survivor ceremony and an opening lap for survivors will follow. Some survivors have already registered.
“We are looking for any survivors who would like to register and be part of that ceremony,” said Ivan.
Teams will walk the track behind the school throughout the day, and there will be games, activities and entertainment.
A luminary ceremony will likely occur at around 9 p.m., once it is dark outside. Closing ceremonies will occur at around 11:30 p.m.
A Relay for Life traditionally begins in the evening, continues overnight and wraps up in the morning. But Midale’s Relay will start in the early afternoon.
“Because our high school kids and our school are the people putting it on, we wanted to respect that they are kids, and since a lot of children and families will be coming to the event, we thought noon to midnight was the best of both worlds,” said Ivan.
Organizers have already booked some of the entertainment.
But they are looking for some corporate sponsors, because it will cost money to host the Relay, and they are working with a small budget. They could also use food and drink and donations.
The committee’s big fundraiser will be on May 28, starting at 11 a.m. The Midale branch of the Southeast Regional Library will host a magician and a barbecue, and then the SLC will host a water day.
“Basically, a water day is a fun day full of games and activities, out in the sun, with sprinklers and other water-based activities,” said Ivan.
Ivan believes the Relay for Life is a great way to bring communities together. Midale, like the rest of the southeast region, is going through a hard time economically, and she hopes the Relay for Life will remind people Midale is a great town.
It’s also an emotional event that raises money for the fight against cancer.
“It has affected a lot of people in our town, so we want to commemorate those people and raise money in their honour,” said Ivan.
Fellow teacher Jordan Campbell hopes a lot of teams will register so they can raise money for the Canadian Cancer Society.
“Lots of people have been affected by cancer,” said Campbell. “It’s been in my family, and I’m sure it’s been in most peoples.”
And it is a fun way groups to compete against each other. She suggested fitness centres, firefighters and other groups from Estevan and Weyburn enter teams and issue challenges to raise more money.
The organizers of Midale’s Relay for Life don’t know if it will become an annual event. They’re just looking forward to raising as much money as possible for the cancer society, and if it does become an annual event, they will be proud to have started something new for Midale.
