Bay of Quinte Relay for Life has surpassed their goals and raised $57,312.95 for the Canadian Cancer Society.
Their original goal was $56,000.
Over 100 participants divided into 25 teams raised funds for the event, before beginning their relay walk around the track at Trenton High School yesterday afternoon. The Walk began at 2 p.m. and continued through till 11 p.m.
Volunteer event co-coordinator Karen White said that many of the relay participants are walking in honour of their friend or loved ones either fighting cancer, or had cancer in the past.
“Teams are here for very personal reasons and cancer is a very personal disease. It strikes almost everybody. I very rarely get the word no when I ask have you been affected by cancer,” said White. “So it’s one of these very personal events. Everybody’s here for a very personal reason.”
Participants came from all around the community. Many were local residents but organizations got involved as well, both as sponsors and participants. Quinte West and Brighton firefighters both entered teams.
Firefighters in full gear join the walk at the 2023 Bay of Quinte Relay for Life. Photo: Alan-Michael Steele
Colleen Hewgill, one of the participants, said that cancer had affected everyone on the team she was relaying with, either as a cancer survivor or having had loved ones with it.
“We have three survivors on our team. And pretty much everybody on our team has either been personally affected or a member of their family has been affected,” said Hewgill. “So we relay for ourselves and we relay for all our loved ones, friends and family because it’s just touched everybody.”
All funds raised are being donated to the Canadian Cancer Society. Part of the funds will go to cancer research, most will be used to fund the local Wheels of Hope program, which offers rides to cancer patients to the hospital for their treatment.
