Cancer survivors, their friends and family are invited to take part in a survivors' lap as part of this year's Relay For Life being held at Christchurch's A and P Showgrounds next month.
Relay For Life honours the lives of people touched by cancer and the survivors' lap is held as a celebration to kick start of the 24-hour relay which is being held from 12 noon Saturday 6 March until 12 noon Sunday 7 March.
Relay For Life, which raises funds for the Cancer Society, is a national event which started in America in 1985.
The survivors' lap, where cancer survivors wear red sashes, is at 12pm on the Saturday (6 March). Another highlight of the relay is the candlelight ceremony at around 9pm on the Saturday night to remember those who have lost their lives to cancer. Candles are placed in bags decorated by the teams and family members and then placed around the track.
More than 90 teams participated in Christchurch's first Relay For Life in 2008 and raised $160,000 for the Cancer Society. Last year's relay attracted 51 teams and raised $110,000 with teams from as far away as Kaikoura in the north to Methven and Ashburton.
"Everyone camps overnight so the relay has a great feeling of community. Many of the teams have been affected by cancer in some way and see the relay as a way of supporting other people in the same situation," says Jane Sherriff from the Cancer Society.
"Relay For Life represents the hope that those who have lost their lives to cancer will not be forgotten and that those who face cancer will be supported," says Jane.
The Cancer Society provides support and assistance to people throughout Canterbury and the West Coast with a range of support services including a cancer information freephone (0800 CANCER – 0800 226 237), transport assistance, accommodation assistance for out of town patients, welfare grants and patient support groups. In addition to these services the Cancer Society also funds cancer research and health promotion programmes.
