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Relay for Life Picton celebrates survivors, remembers loved ones and fights back

Relay for Life

The "fight back" bell is rung every hour at Picton's Relay for Life event. Wendy Culmer was first to ring in, after telling more than 600 participants how she fought cancer - twice - and celebrates, remembers and fights back.

Survivors, supporters and fighters of all ages are walking over the 12-hour Relay for Life.

Relay for Life celebrates cancer survivors

Relay for Life participants also remember and honour with the lighting of luminaries.

From 7 p.m. Friday until 7 a.m. Saturday, Prince Edward County residents celebrate cancer survivors, remember loved ones lost to cancer, and fight back in the hope of finding a cure. Sixty-eight teams are participating in the County’s second annual Relay for Life event at the Picton Fairgrounds as part of the largest Cancer Society fundraising event in the world. In 2010 Prince Edward County hosted its first Relay for Life and joined the fight in a big way raising $175,000.
Participants began arriving late afternoon to set up tents. Opening ceremonies were  held at 7 p.m. The PECI entrepreneurship class organized a host of fun events to be held over the 12-hour period. (See schedule below)

The first lap of Relay for Life is the Victory Lap, with more than 150 cancer survivors and caregivers walking the track in their special yellow T-shirts. These survivors symbolize the strides made in cancer research and treatment.

At dusk a special ceremony takes place with the lighting of candles in memory of loved ones lost to cancer, and in honour of those living with the disease. The Luminary Ceremony is the one time when things get quiet at Relay as the candles are lit around the track providing a lighted path for the rest of the night.

The PECI Purple Cow Police team is in charge of organizing the school's entrepreneurship class inspired Spirit Events and Activities. Above, are: Chelsie Wood, Erin McFaul, Cassidy Allison, Christian Kristalyn and Marcy Mattinson

WHY WE RELAY:

Relay for Life starts at dusk and ends at the next day’s morning. The light and darkness of the day and night parallel the physical effects, emotions and mental state of a cancer patient while undergoing treatment.

The Relay begins when the sun is setting. This symbolizes the time that the person has been diagnosed as having cancer. The day is getting darker and this represents the cancer patient’s state of mind as they fell that their life is coming to an end.

As the evening goes on, it gets colder and darker, just as the emotions of the cancer patient do. Around 1-2 a.m. represents the time when the cancer patient starts treatments. They become exhausted, some sick, not wanting to go on, possibly wanting to give up. As a participant, you have been walking and feel much the same way. You are tired, want to sleep, maybe even want to go home, but you cannot. You cannot stop or give up, just as the cancer patient cannot stop or give up.

Around 4-5 a.m. symbolizes the coming of the end of treatment for the cancer patient. Once again they are tired, but they know they will make it.

The sun rising represents the end of treatment for the cancer patient. They see the light at the end of the tunnel and know that life will go on. The morning light brings on a new day full of life and excitement for new beginnings for the cancer patient. As a participant, you will feel the brightness of the morning and know that the end of the Relay is close at hand.

When you leave the Relay, think of the cancer patient leaving their last treatment. Just as you are exhausted and weak, so is that person after treatment. But there is hope in the new day. The money raised at Relay will support patient services, lifesaving research, prevention eduction and advocacy efforts… and that is why we Relay! Remember: There is no finish line until we find a cure!

Sponsors (back l-r): Adam Bramburger (The Picton Gazette), Rick Farrington (Loyalist Coffee), Barb Guernsey (Black River Tree Service), Leo Finnegan (Rotary Club of Picton), Chris Skinner (Scotiabank Picton) and Matt Stiff (Rotary Club of Picton) Middle (l-r): Pat Guernsey (The Co-operators Pat Guernsey Insurance Services Inc.), Monica Baldwin-Tripp (Picton Home Hardware), Charlene Inch (Town & Country Video), Chrissy & Mira Busscher (Picton Home Hardware), Tina Rutgers (Scotiabank Picton), Amber Martin (countylive.ca), Wendy Culmer (Curves) Front: Brookie Busscher (Picton Home Hardware)

SPONSORS: Event Sponsor: Scotiabank Picton – Luminary Sponsor: Curves Picton – Survivor Sponsor: Home Hardware Picton – Fight Back Sponsor: Rotary Club Picton – Media Sponsors: countylive.ca, The Picton Gazette, 95.5 Hits FM – Supporting Sponsors: The Co-operators, Town & Country Video, Pure County Bottled Water, Loyalist Coffee, Black River Tree Service and the Corporation of the County of Prince Edward.

ENTERTAINMENT, EVENTS & ACTIVITIES

4:30 PM – BBQ begins until 6:30 pm

4:45 PM – Tent set-up
Gerry Putman – main stage

5:30 PM – Muriel Wager & friends – main stage

6:30 PM – Youth Zone opens

7:00 PM – OPENING CEREMONY – main stage
Survivor Theme Lap followed by Team Theme Lap

7:30 PM – BBQ resumes until 9:30 pm

7:45 PM – Grandpa’s Goodtime Gang – main stage

8:00 PM – Tent Decorating Contest
Speaker: Dr. Steven Hall, cancer researcher

8:30 PM – “Angel Hair” Cutting – main stage

8:45 PM – Future Occupation Theme Lap
Tent judging

9:00 PM – Team Raffle starts
Pilates with Tracy Powers
Foot & Leg Massage with Cheryl Anderson
Scavenger Hunt question #1

9:30 PM – Animal Theme Lap

9:45 PM – Six Feet – main stage

10:00 PM – Trinity / Pipers – main stage
LUMINARY CEREMONY
Youth Zone closes

10:30 PM – Smoking Cessation with Dee Hazell RN

11:00 PM – Monster Twister
Scavenger Hunt question #2

11:15 PM – Zumba – main stage

11:30 PM – Yoga with Tracy Powers

11:45 PM – Grape Drank – main stage

MIDNIGHT – Rockstar Theme Lap
Frozen T-shirt contest
Sweets Table opens
Scavenger Hunt question #3

12:30 AM – Zumba – main stage

1:00 AM – TV/Movie Cast Theme Lap
3-Legged race
Scavenger Hunt question #4

1:30 AM – Relay’s Got Talent – main stage
Potato Sack race
BINGO at survivors tent

2:00 AM – Chili available – until gone
Scavenger Hunt question #5

2:30 AM – Tight N’ Bright Light Show Theme Lap

3:00 AM – Scavenger Hunt
Pilates with Tracy Powers

4:00 AM – Bingo Theme Lap
Scavenger Hunt question #6

4:30 AM – Shave a Balloon contest
BINGO at survivors tent

5:00 AM – Rooster Call contest – main stage
Breakfast served

5:30 AM – Loud Theme Lap

6:00 AM – Team Raffle Draw ends

6:30 AM – CLOSING CEREMONY

7:00 AM – Event ends & clean up begins!

Coffee, tea, hot chocolate, liquid yogurt, chocolate milk and water (bring your own water bottle) will be available throughout the night.

Visit the FIGHT BACK ZONE all night for information, displays, brochures, answers to the scavenger hunt, contests and great prizes! Accumulate team points!

You may purchase your Luminaries at the Luminary Tent from 4 – 9:45 pm.

Filed Under: RELAY FOR LIFE

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  1. Susan Rose says:

    All folks involved should be feeling really proud of your showing..wonderful…and hopefully you are all enjoying a well deserved rest today…County folks the best!!

  2. Mary says:

    My daughter is in it tonight and I wouldn’t mind checking it out to be there for her. Is there a fee to go or not if so how much?
    thks

    Admin: No fee. Support of everybody most important and donations always welcome. –

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