By Eric Bourque
THE VANGUARD
NovaNewsNow.com
Yarmouth’s Relay for Life goes this weekend and, as of last week, 69 teams were expected to take part in this year’s event.
With an average of a little over 10 people per team, the number of participants should be close to 800, said Brenda Burgess, the Canadian Cancer Society’s coordinator for southwest Nova.
Last year’s relay drew 67 teams and raised just over $143,000 for the cancer society.
This will be the fourth Yarmouth-area relay, the event having first been held locally in 2004, and the plan is to return to the Hebron Recreation Complex, site of the first two relays.
The Hebron facility was to have hosted the 2006 relay as well, but organizers moved it to the Mariners Centre instead after a period of wet weather left the recreation complex grounds too soggy and susceptible to damage.
While organizers did a great job moving the relay inside on such short notice, Burgess says they’re looking forward to having it outdoors again where it belongs.
The event is scheduled to begin with opening ceremonies at 6:45 or so Friday evening and go through the night, concluding with a closing ceremony and the presentation of awards and prizes at around 6:45 Saturday morning.
Contacted last Wednesday, nine days before the ’07 relay, Burgess said preparations were going well.
“We’ve changed things around a little bit to try and bring everything closer together so the track, tent city and all the administration stuff will be in a closer triangle,” she said. “We have an amazing entertainment and activities lineup so it should be a very, very good evening. Everything’s falling into place.”
As in past years, the relay will include a victory lap by cancer survivors – 305 took part last year and a similar number is expected this time – as well as a luminary ceremony where candles surrounding the track are lit in memory of cancer victims or as a tribute to survivors.
There will be lots of music and, as Burgess said, different things for people to do, including midnight bingo.
Through it all, of course, people will be circling the track, the idea being that each participating team should have at least one member on the track at all times.
The Yarmouth relay is one of about two dozen Relay for Life events in Nova Scotia.
Digby had its first relay June 1-2, the event raising over $78,000, and Clare was scheduled to hold its second relay this past weekend.
Nationally, Relay for Life events generated over $100 million for the Canadian Cancer Society last year.
The Vanguard shares a photo essay of past relays. All images were taken by Tina Comeau.
By Eric Bourque
THE VANGUARD
NovaNewsNow.com
Yarmouth’s Relay for Life goes this weekend and, as of last week, 69 teams were expected to take part in this year’s event.
With an average of a little over 10 people per team, the number of participants should be close to 800, said Brenda Burgess, the Canadian Cancer Society’s coordinator for southwest Nova.
Last year’s relay drew 67 teams and raised just over $143,000 for the cancer society.
This will be the fourth Yarmouth-area relay, the event having first been held locally in 2004, and the plan is to return to the Hebron Recreation Complex, site of the first two relays.
The Hebron facility was to have hosted the 2006 relay as well, but organizers moved it to the Mariners Centre instead after a period of wet weather left the recreation complex grounds too soggy and susceptible to damage.
While organizers did a great job moving the relay inside on such short notice, Burgess says they’re looking forward to having it outdoors again where it belongs.
The event is scheduled to begin with opening ceremonies at 6:45 or so Friday evening and go through the night, concluding with a closing ceremony and the presentation of awards and prizes at around 6:45 Saturday morning.
Contacted last Wednesday, nine days before the ’07 relay, Burgess said preparations were going well.
“We’ve changed things around a little bit to try and bring everything closer together so the track, tent city and all the administration stuff will be in a closer triangle,” she said. “We have an amazing entertainment and activities lineup so it should be a very, very good evening. Everything’s falling into place.”
As in past years, the relay will include a victory lap by cancer survivors – 305 took part last year and a similar number is expected this time – as well as a luminary ceremony where candles surrounding the track are lit in memory of cancer victims or as a tribute to survivors.
There will be lots of music and, as Burgess said, different things for people to do, including midnight bingo.
Through it all, of course, people will be circling the track, the idea being that each participating team should have at least one member on the track at all times.
The Yarmouth relay is one of about two dozen Relay for Life events in Nova Scotia.
Digby had its first relay June 1-2, the event raising over $78,000, and Clare was scheduled to hold its second relay this past weekend.
Nationally, Relay for Life events generated over $100 million for the Canadian Cancer Society last year.
The Vanguard shares a photo essay of past relays. All images were taken by Tina Comeau.
