With more than $7,000 raised so far, momentum is building for Castlegar’s Relay For Life, which starts this Saturday night.
The annual event sees teams walk laps at Kinnaird Park from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m., with donations and pledges going to the Canadian Cancer Society.
“All the teams start their hour rotation [at 6 p.m.] and all throughout the night we have different entertainment,” said Nikki Leggett, Castlegar’s organizer.
Seven teams have registered this year, which is down from previous years, Leggett said.
“We’re kind of thinking that it may have something to do with a lot of other local fundraisers,” she said.
However, there’s still time to participate.
“It’s never too late to register,” she said. “You can register the day of and we’re looking for volunteers for the day of. You don’t have to register as a team to participate.”
Activities will start at 5 p.m. for kids, Leggett said.
“There’s a lot of youth in our relay, so we have that going and there’s a bouncy castle and all sorts of entertainment.”
After the opening ceremonies at 6 p.m., cancer survivors are invited to kick the night off with a celebratory lap.
Next, the luminary ceremony offers a special time for people to remember and honour loved ones who have cancer or have died of it. The luminaries are placed around the relay track with lit candles in them.
The last ceremony of the event is called “fight back,” and its purpose is to inspire participants to continue the fight against cancer.
Throughout the evening, there will be different activities on the stage, Leggett said, including late-night karaoke and various awards, including top fundraiser.
This year’s theme is vampires, Leggett said, inspired by their lack of tanning.
“Our mission is, ‘tanning is out,’” she said. “We’re encouraging all of the teams to incorporate that into their tent sites.”
For more information, visit www.relaybc.ca/faf/home/default.asp?ievent=439263.