LangleyAdvance
Seniors Games: in the pool pg A16
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Tuesday, June 24, 2014
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Cancer survivors from the Abreast in a Boat dragon boat team took part in the survivor’s lap at the Langley Relay for Life on Friday evening.
Cancer Society
Relay rockets past 10 years
The Relay for Life collected more than $200,000 for cancer research. by Matthew Claxton
mclaxton@langleyadvance.com
As the sun rose over McLeod Athletic Park Saturday morning, there were still plenty of teams struggling around the track at the Canadian Cancer Society’s Langley Relay for Life. Diana Power, her sisters, and their family members were among those who stuck it out for 12 hours, from the 7 p.m. Friday start to the 6 a.m. pancake breakfast and closing ceremonies. “We saw the sky lightening up, and it was like, oh gosh, we did it,” said Power. Power was a member of the Forget Me Nots, a new team formed from six siblings of the Lute family, who lost their mother to cancer last August. The six sisters banded together with their sizeable extended families to create the team – there were 42 family members in all helping out to just 14 official team members, said Power. The team created a tribute to their mother in flowers and old
photos, and spent the night at the track taking turns circling the playing field. Several dozen other teams were doing the same, some of them veteran teams like the Otter Trotters or Gallery Gals, while other teams are recent creations. Six teams from Brookswood Secondary led the way for youth teams this year, but other schools, including Walnut Grove Secondary and Glenwood Elementary, also fielded teams. All the teams not only took part in the relay itself, but in the many activities that took place overnight. During the evening, the walkers joined in trivia contests, listened to a series of entertainers that included Elvis impersonator Randy Friske, played soccer on the mid-field, or watched a movie on a portable outdoor screen. Just after 10 p.m., luminaries – candles in paper bags – were lit around the field and in the stadium stands. Lights were dimmed and there was a moment of silence for those lost to cancer, followed by a special lap led by a piper. Many of the luminaries around the track were decorated and dedicated to specific individuals who have passed away.
Matthew Claxton/Langley Advance
Jack Shields was carried through the survivor’s lap by his dad Jody with his mom Crystal. Jack’s brother Malcolm raised more than $10,000 for Relay for Life this year. Many of the teams, like the Forget Me Nots, have personal reasons for raising money for cancer research and patient support. Among the new teams were the Rhabdo Rebels, formed by two Langley families who didn’t even know each other until each of them saw an adult child diagnosed with the same rare form of cancer. They joined together as an informal support group, then decided to raise some money to help find a cure.
Their fundraising efforts paid off, as the Rebels were the top fundraising team of the year, bringing in $21,000 in total. For the second year in a row, the top individual fundraiser was Malcolm Shields, who is just 11 years old. Shields is raising money in support of his younger brother Jack, who was diagnosed with leukemia last year. Jack was back at the Relay again this year, and was carried around the track on his dad Jody’s shoulders. The Hot for the Cure team, decked out in superhero capes and utility belts, won the award for team spirit. Volunteer Relay chair Bev Dornan announced just after dawn that the fundraising effort had brought in more than $200,000. Langley Township Mayor Jack Froese, handing out awards to a variety of teams, encouraged participants this year to come back again, and keep raising money. The Lute family is already considering coming back for a second year in 2015. The Forget Me Nots got an extra bonus when their floral tribute to the sisters’ mother won them the best decorated campsite award.