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Organizers begin process of starting local Relay for Life |
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Thursday, 17 January 2008 |
Celebrate. Remember. Fight Back.
By Sharon Ulrich
Taber Times
As this year's theme for the Canadian Cancer Society's Relay For Life fundraiser, Taber will host one such national event for the first time this year.
But there is work to be done before the 12-hour relay starts on May 30 and 31, and Tuesday, Jan. 22 marks the first information session with a call for volunteers, sponsors and teams to enable its success.
As the Taber Relay For Life chairperson, Linda Hall participated in the Lethbridge event last year as the captain of the Taber Police Service team, one of six teams from Taber.
In an event that begins with a survivor lap, and then sees at least one member per team on the track from 7 p.m.-7 a.m., there is also a luminary tribute. Hall found last year's relay to be emotional, yet positive.
"When it's starting with the survivor lap, I'm sure there's not a dry eye there," she said, and noted cancer survivors range in age from children to the elderly, who walk the lap in yellow T-shirts. "It's pretty amazing."
At 10 p.m., candles are lit all along the outside of the track, purchased in remembrance of someone whose life has been directly affected by cancer, she explained.
"So throughout the night you're walking and it's all lit up, all in memory or in honour of people who either didn't win their battle with cancer, or are still fighting it."
Plans are just starting now for the Taber Relay For Life, which like others throughout the nation are being organized by volunteers. Hall said there will be a lot of different roles for volunteers on the committee, ranging from team and volunteer recruitment to logistics and entertainment.
As sponsors are also needed to help offset costs of the fundraisers, she noted CEM Heavy Equipment has agreed to be the main event sponsor. However, they are looking for other sponsors as well.
Set to be held at the St. Patrick's school track, the Taber relay has a goal of 30 teams, 50 survivors and $95,000.
Darren Neuberger, revenue development co-ordinator with the Lethbridge Cancer Society and a survivor himself, has overseen events in Lethbridge and the Crowsnest Pass, and will assist Hall along the way.
He said she should have a good core of 10 people that will be in charge of their own section and can get others to help them if need be. Committee members/volunteers are asked to attend a monthly meeting and be there throughout the event itself from set-up to take down.
Neuberger stressed however, volunteers have a schedule and work in blocks of two to four hour shifts, where they can then can leave if they want to as another group will take over.
As for the overnight event he remarked, "the motto is Cancer never sleeps, so why should we?"
From the bagpipes playing Amazing Grace for the survivor walk to bands playing throughout the night, an activities tent when kids can get their face painted and awards for the best-decorated tent sight and best team spirit, it is a celebration as well.
"It's calm, it's quiet, it's crazy. It's so much fun. The energy - you can feel it as soon as you walk in there," noted Neuberger.
"There really is an energy," Hall added. "Everyone's excited. At first the survivor lap is hard, people remember, but then you also remember it's a celebration too and we can make a difference."
As for teams, Hall explained members get pledges and sometimes they do their own fundraisers, such as the barbecue fundraiser the Taber Police Service team did last year. She added it is fun if a team, for instance, from a business or a school, puts out a challenge to another team to see who can raise more money.
"That's a fun way to do it to and then there's two teams, and a little competition is always fun."
Teams can register online at www.cancer.ca/relay or at the informational meeting which takes place Jan. 22 at 7 p.m. in the basement of the Taber Police Service building. For more information, to volunteer or offer sponsorship contact Linda at 223-9116 or by e-mail at
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Donations can be made online as well with tax receipts available. |
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