Relay is back for 2015

Shannon LeClair
Times Reporter

 

The annual Canadian Cancer Society Relay for Life will be coming back to the area this summer. Participation has been down, and last year resulted in the event being cancelled. With new leaders at the helm brimming with fresh ideas, the event, scheduled for June 13, is sure to be a success.
Robin Navin has taken over the role of coordinating the Wheatland County event.
Navin’s brother-in-law Peter was diagnosed with brain cancer at the age of 30. On Oct. 18, 2013, at the age of 41, he passed away, leaving behind a two-year-old son.
2013 was also Navin’s first year at the Relay for Life with her team ‘For Pete’s Sake,’ which included 12 adults and two kids. Together the team raised an amazing $7,585.
“This year we’re going to do a new format, it’s going to be a six-hour relay, versus 12 hours. It’s no longer going to be overnight, so it will run from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m.,” said Siobhan Doherty, revenue fund development coordinator with the Canadian Cancer Society, who is also helping organize the event. “We need to have the dusk aspect in there for the luminary ceremony but we want to make it a more family centered event.”
“I think Strathmore, just with the demographic, needs to be family and pet-friendly and surrounded by that, that’s my big goal is to make sure kids feel welcome, the whole family (feels welcome),” said Navin.
“Whereas before I think a lot of the families were left out because of the overnight aspect and then it just left it with a lot of younger kids or older people.”
Another new thing this year is that the Relay for Life will be held at Kinsmen Park, which is a pet-friendly, central location.
“The town is invited and they can come see luminaries ceremony, come light their luminaries, (give) donations and support the teams even if they aren’t actually participating in the event, though we do encourage anyone and everyone to put in teams,” said Doherty.
Both women would like to see it become an event like Canada Day or Family Day where everyone knows family friendly stuff is happening.
“I think if we can really make it a town-centered event with family, that’s our big thing I think is being a family oriented event I think taking it from the 12 hour to the six hour will really make a big difference in that,” said Doherty.
For anyone who registers to take part, there is no minimum fundraising goal, but there is a suggestion of raising $150.
The next few months will be filled with finding the volunteers and/or board members who can help with planning the event.
“It will be held in Strathmore and a lot of the planning committee will likely be from Strathmore, but we do encourage surrounding areas to come. We will be extending invitations to basically all of the different areas that don’t have their own Relay for Life that might be interested in coming out,” said Doherty. “People that want to get involved in any way, we encourage them to contact us.”
There is no minimum of how many hours a volunteer should put in; even just providing ideas and advice, time, or talent are all appreciated.
More information can be found on the Facebook page, Wheatland County AB Relay For Life, or by calling Robin Navin at 403-703-0057.