by PAUL RAYNER

Rain dampened the grounds, but not necessarily the spirit at the Fifth Annual Relay for Life.

Held August 3-4 at the International Peace Garden, participants were on hand for a major and ongoing deluge, which meant a few changes to the activities and rules. The event, which raises money for cancer research, requires that a member of each participating team remain on the running track for the entire 12 hours of the Relay. However, the rain made that impossible.

“We relaxed the track rules,’ explained committee chair Linda Ransom. “People were not always able to walk on the track. They went out in between bursts, because when it was wet it was wet, wet, wet. We put up with the rain. We have big tents, and when it was raining, the games kept people occupied. It doesn’t matter too much, because the whole idea is to raise money for cancer research, not to run a marathon.”

The weather did have a few other effects. Ransom said only 40 cancer survivors made the event this year, which she blames on the shaky skies putting off the older ones. The survivors do the first lap around the track as an inspiration – proving that cancer can be beaten. Another major moving moment is the lighting of the luminaries, which are candles in bags to honour those who have lost the fight to cancer. Although still laid around the reflecting pool, the wet weather did affect the ceremony.

“Unfortunately, they were not all lit at the time. It was a downpour at the time. We got them lit by 4:30, but they were pretty soggy bags by that point. It made the fireworks a little briefer than usual as well.”

Twelve teams participated this year, about the same as 2006. There were hopes the numbers would be a little better initially, as the Relay was moving back to August from last year’s July outing. However, Ransom said they felt the fact it was on a long weekend might have affected the teams somewhat, so they are looking at moving to the next weekend in 2008.

Ransom said, however, the teams are working better than ever. They continue to come from all over the area – Boissevain, Killarney Deloraine, Waskada – and their commitment is having a greater effect as time goes on.

“If I go by the teams,” she explained, “they are bringing in more than ever before. One was over $5,000, and there was another just under that. That is an excellent amount. The teams themselves are spectacular and the businesses and people are responding better than ever.”

The luminaries too sold well this year. Ransom estimated there were 5-600 of them purchased in 2007. In the end, there is a rough estimate of more than $30,000 raised at the Relay for cancer research this time around. This is before the corporate sponsorship is added into the mix.

“Every team we had said they would come back and bring others. Doing it the weekend after the long weekend will help a lot. There is such a commitment there when you go. Some of the teams have been there all five years. That is a deep commitment.”

For the most part, the entertainment and games went fine as usual and everyone involved had a good time. It is not just about money, Ransom stated, but also about giving hope to those with cancer and to the public at large that cancer is no longer a “death sentence”. This is the point of the darkness to dawn period relays take place in.

“It is about going from darkness to light,” she explained. “You are taking a journey. You can see the hope when the dawn breaks.”

Even something negative like heavy rainfall can play into the metaphor and help keep the spirit or Relays for Life alive.

“It just proves that like cancer you keep on going. You put one foot in front of the other and get through it. There is such a strong commitment to it. There will be no end to this.”