A TEAM of fundraisers are on track to raise nearly three quarters of a million pounds, thanks to their commitment to the Cancer Research UK’s Relay For Life in Jarrow.
The group of volunteers are organising the event for their thirteenth year – fundraising for the charity since 2006.
This year’s Relay for Life will be an extra special, overnight event in celebration of their achievements at Monkton Stadium, Jarrow over the weekend of July 13 and 14.
Over 500 people have already signed up to take part this year, raising over £43,000.
Now, the team of fundraisers are encouraging family, friends and work colleagues to join in and find at least eight people they want to spend 24 hours with and raise as much money as possible for life-saving cancer research.
Ann Walsh, Event Chair, said: “Relay For Life is a great way to spend time with your family, friends and colleagues while raising money for a worth-while cause.
“To host the Relay For Life in Jarrow for a thirteenth year is an amazing achievement for everyone involved. It would be great if people from the community could sign up to make it a huge success.
“We’ve got a free family fun day to add to the carnival atmosphere and we’d encourage people in the area to come and join us for a memorable weekend. There will be stalls, games and bands for everyone to enjoy.
“Together we can help to do something extraordinary – save lives.”
Cancer Research UK’s Relay For Life is an inspirational celebration of life and hope which unites communities to help beat over 200 types of cancer and culminates in a fantastic family and team event.
People who take part raise as much money as possible in the months leading up to the overnight celebration, through a wide range of activities from karaoke competitions to quizzes, supermarket bag-packs to charity balls, and donations from friends, families and work colleagues.
During Relay For Life, team members take it in turns to walk round a track while everyone else enjoys the carnival atmosphere. As the Relay continues non-stop through the night, team members not on the track rest, eat, or sleep in their tents, which are set up close by.
As dusk falls, the atmosphere quietens as the Candle of Hope ceremony begins. The event is the most poignant part of Relay For Life when specially made Candle of Hope bags – decorated with touching messages in memory, or in celebration of loved ones – are filled with sand and lit up with candles around the stadium.
Ann added: “Cancer never sleeps, so neither do we as teams set up camp and take turns to walk round the track for the duration of the event.
“We would love to hear from anyone who wants to find out more about Relay For Life and how they can get involved.
“Thanks to Cancer Research UK’s work, more people are surviving cancer than ever before. Survival rates have doubled over the last 40 years and Cancer Research UK’s work has been at the heart of that progress.”
The charity’s ground-breaking research is finding new ways to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer. But every step taken towards beating cancer relies on every pound donated.
Cancer Research UK wants to change that and needs the help of people in the North East to help save many more lives.
For more information on how to enter Relay For Life visit cruk.org/relay or call 0300 123 1026