Relay For Life raises much needed funds to help fight cancer
Despite the cloudy conditions and occasional drizzles on Friday night, more than 2 000 people, including children, from across the East Rand converged on the Boksburg City Stadium for the annual Cansa Relay for Life.
The event, which aims to raise awareness of cancer and funds to fight the disease, kicked off at 6pm on March 11 and ran until 6am the following day.
Yearly, the Relay for Life seeks to instill the hope that those lost to cancer will never be forgotten, those facing cancer will be supported and one day cancer will be conquered.
The relay opened with the emotional moving Survivor’s Lap of Honour, followed by more than 122 registered teams and more than 132 survivors participating in the 12 hours of non-stop walking.
Burning candles in luminaria bags circled the track.
Jeff Youngman, chairman of the CANSA Relay For Life East Rand Community, thanked those who made an all-out effort to ensure the event was a roaring success.
The money raised will fund services, including prevention and awareness campaigns, patient care and support in the form of Cansa interim homes in the main metropolitan areas, including one hospitium (based in Polokwane) for out-of town cancer patients, support centres that offer stoma and lymphoedema clinics, medical equipment hire, toll-free line and support to children and their families affected by cancer through the Cansa TLC programme.
The organisation was, by Monday afternoon (March 14), still waiting for the final count, but the money raised was in the region of R430 000.
