The Countdown to Relay For Life

Wednesday, 7 June 2017 at 05:46

There are only a few days left before Oxford County residents join together to walk the CASS track and fight cancer.

WOODSTOCK - It promises to be another full house at the Relay for Life in Woodstock this year.

Participants will walk around the track at CASS for 6 hours this Friday from 7 p.m. to 1 a.m.

The community champion this year is Linda Torkelson who spoke passionately about the relay recently at her annual Breast Cancer Survivors luncheon:

"Hi, my name is Linda Torkelson and I am this year's Relay for Life Community Champion and I would like to ask all of you to join me as we celebrate you, us, all survivors on June 9th at CASS. We all have walked this journey; heard the words "you have cancer". Your story is just as unique as to the person sitting beside you. Mine began when I was 33, breast feeding my daughter. Now, 17 years later I am standing here as a survivor looking around this room and I see hope, determination, courage & support.

Cancer really does "Change everything" and not for the worse. It has placed me into a circle of amazing people I am so proud to be connected to - in such a way that can never be altered. And as Community Champion I have the honour to focus & celebrate Relay, all survivors & to remember and cherish those while battles well fought, are no longer among us.

Imagine this....... that all of us have the ability to do one small act to make a huge impact on cancer. As a cancer survivor your participation in Relay provides inspiration to everyone touched by this disease because we are living proof of the progress the CCS is making against cancer.

The programs that many of us have used such as the Wheels of Hope, Peer Support, Finding a Wig and the information they give to living well, prevention and screening; we can't say enough about them & the people who volunteer. These & more would be lost if the CCS didn't have the funds to keep operating. And with statistics suggesting a 40% increase in cancer diagnosis by the year 2030 it's more important than ever to support the CCS."

Torkelson says it really is going to be a fun night.

"We have lots of fun activities planned throughout the evening, such as lap games, we have live entertainment, and of course there is food and we will also have a photo booth like we did last year and this year I hope to print off pictures of Survivors, so they can take it home."

All of the money raised will go towards the local Canadian Cancer Society.