Newmarket resident Leslie Yeates had been volunteering for years with the local Cancer Society’s annual Relay for Life before her own cancer was diagnosed.
Fifteen years ago, she first began participating in the annual community fundraiser to support a coworker and close friend, both of whom had breast cancer, then, five years later, she was diagnosed with melanoma.
“I’m fair skinned and was a lifeguard for a long time, so I was kind of aware and looking, so I noticed it quickly, and my doctor responded immediately,” said Yeates, who is co-chair for the community engagement organizing committee for Newmarket’s Relay for Life.
Thankfully, Yeates said, the cancer was caught early enough and was removed completely with surgery. She has been cancer free for 10 years.
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She will join other cancer survivors, along with their families and friends, at Newmarket’s 16th annual Relay for Life at Pickering College on Friday, June 21.
All proceeds go toward ground-breaking research into more than 100 types of cancer, as well as programs and services that assist local patients and families. The goal of the event is to help those living with cancer live longer and improve their quality of life, said Karen Beaulieu, Canadian Cancer Society community fundraising specialist.
“Life is bigger than cancer, and we can all make a difference,” she said.
Every year, participants creates teams of friends and family and take turns doing laps around the track at Pickering College.
Yeates said she enjoys participating every year and usually starts fundraising and recruiting friends, neighbours and family to join her team in December.
She said Relay for Life appeals to a lot of people — it’s not an athletic event, but one that focuseson celebrating survivors of cancer.
“There’s a number of very touching moments during the event,” she said. “It’s for fundraising but it’s also for celebrating people and remembering people.”
The event begins at 6 p.m. with the opening ceremonies and the Survivors Victory Lap.
In addition to the relay, there is entertainment, activities and food for all to enjoy throughout the evening.
“Many teams elect to have one or two people on the track all the time. Some people choose to walk the entire evening. It’s kind of at your own pace, whatever works for you and your team,” explained Yeates.
At 10 p.m., the luminary ceremony begins, where little paper bags with tea lights in them are lined up around the track in memory of those who have lost their battle with cancer, or in honour of someone who is fighting the disease.
“The luminary candles are lit, there is bagpipers playing and there’s usually a poem read and we stand together in a moment of silence and we do a lap around and see the bags,” said Beaulieu.
“It’s a really moving event, and you really come together as a community, because everybody that’s there has been touched by cancer in some way shape or form…there’s nobody that hasn’t been affected by cancer.”
The fundraising goal for this year’s event is $60,000. Donations can be made until the end of August.
“Every little bit makes a difference,” said Beaulieu.
There are various ways to contribute, including by holding workplace fundraising events such as a dress down day, a lunch, bake sale or fashion show, she added.
Beaulieu says the money raised goes directly to helping patients and their families.
“The services that help people with cancer and their families such as our advocacy, our Wheels of Hope transportation program, our cancer information service program, our peer support program, that’s where the money goes,” she said.
Last year, the Wheels of Hope program made 5,800 trips for 181 cancer patients in York Region, with 86 drivers driving a total of 321,570 km.
“The majority of them (drivers) are survivors themselves and they want to give back,” explained Beaulieu.
The event is open to anyone, and no athletic ability is required. You don’t need a team to participate; you can sign up as an individual or make a donation online.
To sign up for the event or make a donation, visit www.relayforlife.ca
To purchase a luminary (at least 48 hours prior to the event), click here.
Relay for Life is a global fundraising initiative for cancer research, with 29 countries and 6,000 communities participating each year.
