Relay For Life Woodstock Raises Over $135,500

Monday, 17 June 2019 13:11

The Canadian Cancer Society of Oxford County raised over $135,500 this year at the Relay For Life event this weekend.

WOODSTOCK - The Canadian Cancer Society of Oxford County raised over $135,500 this year at the Relay For Life event this weekend.

Over 200 people participated this year on 24 teams. Community Fundraising Specialist Hailey Parliament explains what they will do with this money.

"The Canadian Cancer Society funds, not only the life saving research that we are known for, but we also fund important cancer related topics. We really take a holistic fund, which means that we fund, of course the research but then the education, the learning that we get from the research, that smoking is bad for us, eating less processed foods, being more active and really sharing that with our communities and letting them know the best ways to prevent cancer. We also advocate the Government and then of course we support people who are already living with cancer, through things like Wheels of Hope and through our cancer information service as all. So all of that money raised is truly going to make a difference."

Parliament says the event itself went off without a hitch.

"It was just really an event where anyone could come together, the luminary ceremony was beautiful once again, raising lot's of money with the luminary bags and it brought anyone who has been touched by cancer together, to let them know that you don't have to face it alone."

The event this year also aimed to be waste free and with over 300 people in attendance, they created under three bags of garbage.

"We had over 200 participants and that doesn't include the 100 volunteers we had, so we had over 300 people and we only created under 3 bags of garbage and that is just incredible. Sandy Smith on the Transition Less Waste Committee deserves a lot of credit for that and we are so thankful for our participants who brought their own plates and reusable water bottles and really took a stand too to help us make this event waste free."

Parliament says they also couldn't have done this without their sponsors. A special shout out as well to Dan Henry from Heart FM who was the MC of the event.