Celebrate, Remember, Fight Back

Relay For Life is an overnight relay event. Teams must take turns to keep their baton moving around the track for the entire 20 hour event. It's not a race; Relay For Life is about team spirit and worNking together to keep your baton moving.

• Participants are in teams of 10 members or more, with a nominated team captain or co-captains to motivate the team. A team name is selected. On Relay weekend teams often dress in a team uniform or to a team theme.
• Teams set a fundraising goal and in the lead up to the Relay weekend work to exceed that goal. All sorts of fundraising activities are used from bake sales and quiz nights, to auctions and online fundraising. The Cancer Society and the Relay For Life committee offer support and information to help teams with their fundraising efforts.
• On Relay weekend teams set up a team base around the track. Many teams camp overnight and cheer people on as they walk throughout the night.

What happens at Relay?

Relay For Life opens with the Survivors Lap where cancer survivors walk the first lap of Relay, cheered on by the crowd, to celebrate their survivorship. Once all the survivors have finished their lap of honour, Relay teams begin their 20 hour walk and survivors head to a special afternoon tea.

As dusk falls the Candlelight Ceremony is held to remember the loved ones we have lost to cancer. Candle bags, decorated in memory of lost loved ones, line the track. The lit candles inside each bag light the way for teams as they continue to walk through the night.

After 20 hours of walking, teams come together for the Closing Ceremony to celebrate the end of Relay For Life and thank the community for their support and commitment.

Relay has a fantastic feeling of community spirit which is created by the number of people who come together fo celebrate the event. Teams enter from all over the Canterbury-West Coast, including businesses, community groups, schools, friends and families. Combine this with plenty of entertainment for kids and adults, amazing costumes, a festival-like atmosphere and it is a truly fun, family-friendly event to attend.

All funds raised through Relay For Life stay in the Canterbury-West Coast region and assists the Cancer Society to provide supportive care for cancer patients, their carers, whanau and friends, fund cancer research and provide the public with information on the ways to reduce the risk of cancer through a smoke free, sun smart, healthy lifestyle.

 

For more information about Relay For Life and to enter online click here. 

 2018 events in the Canterbury-West Coast area:

Ashburton - Ashburton Showgrounds                  24/25 February

Geraldine - Geraldine Rugby Club                      10 March

Selwyn - Brookside Park, Rolleston                     17/18 March

Hokitika - Westland High School                          17 March

 

If you would like to join a Relay For Life committee or are a business and would like to show your support for people with cancer by sponsoring Relay For Life, please contact your local centre