Woodstock Relay For Life: FUNdraiser Day is Saturday, May 10; as Relay For Life approaches

Several teams to combine forces in Foodland parking lot to raise money for their team and Relay

Relay For Life – a significant local Canadian Cancer Society fundraiser is June 13-14 in Woodstock, but with the actual event attracting over 500 participants, there are also many smaller events leading up to the annual Relay For Life.

FUNdraiser Day

The third annual FUNdraiser Day, for example, is Saturday, May 10, 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. in the Foodland (former Zellers) parking lot on Dundas Street. It marks a combined team effort as tables have been reserved by Relay teams to raise money in various ways – barbecue, face painting, garage sale, baked goods, used book sales, home preserves, and Relay Luminary sales.

The FUNdraiser Day is organized specifically to coincide with the day before Mother's Day, and is coordinated this year by Liz Wismer (pictured with team below) of Heart (104.7) FM. To participate with your team's table, email: liz@1047.ca.

“I started Relaying for my Nana, who passed away from cancer in 1997 – six weeks following her diagnosis,” says Wismer. “Today, I not only Relay for her, but for my other family, friends and co-workers who have battled this horrible disease; those who have battled, are continuing to battle and for those we lost.

“Relay for Life is such an unique event and I encourage anyone who has never attended to come out on June 13, or to attend the FUNdraiser Day and talk to organizers to see exactly what it is all about and then join with us as we Celebrate, Remember and Fight Back,” says Wismer, who has organized a team called Girlz Night Out for many years.

Relay For Life is a cooperative of many teams, as is the fundraiser day.

“It’s terrific to see various Relay For Life teams combine their efforts for a significant team fundraising event, and it also provides awareness and publicity for the actual Relay For Life (on June 13-14),” says Tracy Bucholtz, fundraising coordinator for Oxford CCS. “The FUNdraising Day has become a popular event and it’s great to see that it is organized for the day before Mother’s Day.”

Captain's Night

The second Captain's Night meeting is set for Wednesday, May 14, 6:30 p.m. at Fanshawe College on Finkle Street. Speakers will provide additional background on reaching Relay For Life participants and gaining awareness through social media (Facebook group: Canadian Cancer Society's Relay For Life in Woodstock, plus blog site of www.woodstockrelay.blogspot.com; and Twitter: WoodstockRelay and CCSOxfordCounty). Captain's Night also represents an opportunity to pick up team kits, book your campsite and bank night time, learn about team recruitment, cancer research initiatives, activities on the night of Relay, and share fundraising ideas.

Luminaries

The poignant Luminary Ceremony is at 10 p.m. on the night of Relay. The track at CASS will be surrounded by as many as 2,000 luminaries, which are lit at 10 p.m. to remember those who lost their battle to cancer and to honour survivors. During the ceremony, a large display spelling HOPE will be changed to CURE. Luminaries are for sale and/or promoted at various locations around the city (Scotiabank, No Frills, Boston Pizza, Swiss Chalet, several churches, and the CCS office at 65 Springbank Ave North), online at www.relayforlife.ca/woodstock and at the Saturday farm market at the Nellis Street fairgrounds beginning May 24.

Bucholtz notes the symbolism of the luminaries.

“One important aspect of Relay For Life is the opportunity for people to come together and remember loved ones or to celebrate a cancer survivor. Luminaries are candles placed in fireproof bags, bearing the names of loved ones who have faced cancer. Some celebrate cancer survivors, or provide support for those presently battling the disease and others help us honour and remember those gone too soon.

Luminaries are $5 each.

Volunteers

For more background details about registrations, sponsorships, volunteering, donating to the silent auction, registering as a survivor (Survivors Lap is at 7 p.m. as part of the opening ceremony), and assisting with the logistics of setting up the over-night camp at CASS, call the Oxford community office at (519) 537-5592

To sign up or sponsor a participant, see: www.relayforlife.ca/woodstock.

Oxford County

This year's Relay for Life other locales are at IDCI in Ingersoll is June 20-21, while the Tillsonburg Relay is June 6-7 at Annandale public school.