The annual Relay for Life will be held at Centennial Park on June 11 from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., and everyone is welcome to celebrate and remember the lives of loved ones who have been affected by cancer.
Relay for Life co-ordinator Marisa Peter notes planning is already underway.
"We need teams and the size of team doesn't matter. I know that no one thinks about this until later in the year, but right now, we only have one team registered."
Noting the most teams at a previous relay was 17, she notes this year’s goal is for 20 teams.
The emphasis this year is coming out for a cause, Peter says, and the amount of money raised is an added bonus.
Noting she doesn't want to always focus on the money, she adds it’s about the mission, emphasizing almost everyone is touched by cancer either personally or having a relative or friend affected by it.
Attendance has been down over the last few years, says Peter, and she wants to encourage people to participate in the day and make it a family event.
"There will be lots of ceremonies throughout the day and entertainers are welcome to come down to the park and jam. There will be children activities, a water park and a bouncy castle."
Throughout the day, there will be team challenges just to make it fun, she adds.
The Luminary Ceremony, which takes place in the evening, is special to Peter because it’s a memorial for her father. Luminaries are candles that are placed in special bags with the names of cancer survivors and loved ones who have lost their lives to cancer.
It is an unforgettable experience, Peter says, adding it motivates everyone to continue the fight.
"I'd like to get some school teams involved this year. It is important that the [students] know about these causes and what they are all about."
She notes there was a team last year from 100 Mile Junior Secondary, as the students came out in support of a classmate whose life was claimed by cancer.
For more information or to register contact, Peter at 250-395-6752 or e-mail 100milehouserelay@bc.cancer.ca.
