Anyone who has survived cancer will tell you that it is the fight of their life.
This year one of the main organizers for the Relay for Life event to be held overnight on June 11 to the morning of June 12, Diane Van Hoof says that this is the first year she has taken on such a large role.
“I have been on a team for the last three years, I brought a young girl who had cancer, Jordyn Tolles, says Van Hoof.
“She is 12 and she is our team captain.”
Organizing the event has been quite the undertaking for Van Hoof and like so many events getting enough volunteers is always a challenge.
Relay for Life is a worldwide event and is put on at night to symbolize the fact that cancer never sleeps.
“It gives people a sense of how much time and work it takes to battle a disease like cancer,” says Van Hoof.
“And personally it has given me a better understanding of just how much the Cancer Society is involved in.”
“Many people don’t see just how much it benefits communities and one of the main things it supports is Camp Good Times, where whole families can go and connect with other families who have been through the same experiences.”
Teams can sign up right up until the day of the event and Van Hoof says that if anyone is involved in the Merritt Country Run the next day, not to worry.
“The relay is overnight and if you want to attend both events, people can sleep in tents or their cars or go home early,” says Van Hoof.
“We understand that we are running into another event and we want both to be successful.”
