Manitouwadge site for regional cancer fundraiser

by Karina Hunter

Three members of the Thunder Bay Unit of the Canadian Cancer Society (CCS) organized a meeting at the Manitouwadge General Hospital Thursday evening to coordinate volunteers for the 2010 Relay for Life in Manitouwadge. Relay for Life is the CCS’s single biggest fundraiser and as host community for the Northshore,
Manitouwadge stands to reap significant benefits from the event.  Hosting last year’s Relay was a very positive experience for the small town, boosting community pride and drawing in participants from across the Northshore. 

Relay for life is a celebration of survival and a tribute to the lives of loved ones who have been touched by cancer. Twelve hours of fun, friendship and fundraising to beat cancer in a non-competitve group relay which includes a Survivors Victory Lap to officially kick off the relay, games throughout the night to keep teams motivated, and a luminary lighting ceremony in honour of those fighting and in memory of those lost; the luminaries stay lit throughout the night, as a symbol of hope through the fight against cancer.  Last year’s Manitouwadge Relay successfully welcomed participants from Marathon, Pic Mobert and Heron Bay leading the society to call on Manitouwadge again as this year’s official Northshore location.  The logistics of Relay for Life, beginning at 7pm and continuing through 7am, negate any issues in regards to accommodations making this the perfect event for Manitouwadge. 

Anyone interested in volunteering during the event or creating a team, can register at www.RelayForLife.ca or call Suzanne Matheson 826-4070. Giving 12 hrs to the fight against cancer could give years to the lives of those battling the disease.

To see photos of the fun and challenges of the 2009 Relay for Life in Manitouwadge, visit www.OntarioNewsNorth.com/?p=3572.

Submitted to The Echo, the Marathon Mercury, the Chronicle Journal, 03.13.10 

Survivors at the 2009 Relay for Life walk the first lap led by bagpiper, Ken McIntyre and the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 242 colour guard.