Prince George just closed the book for the last time on Canada's only 24-hour Relay For Life.
This past weekend was the 19th edition of the round-the-clock fundraising and awareness walk for cancer causes, but when they open the 20th anniversary event they will have some company.
Surrey's version of the Relay For Life, like all others operated by the Canadian Cancer Society, takes up only part of it's event day - until 2012. This year, organizers are expanding it to 19 hours and next year they plan to go for all 24.
"Does it look like we're kind of copying P.G. a little bit? Yeah, that is what we're doing," said Carissa Halley, one of the main organizers of the Surrey Relay For Life.
"The Surrey event is successful but not what it could be, and we have Prince George which is one of the top fundraisers in the province, and when we talk to Gwen [Cline] and Erin [Reynolds], your organizers up there, they just light up about what that relay means to the community. When we watch the video and see the pictures and hear the stories, the enthusiasm and the magic, really, is quite contagious. We paid attention to that. We saw that people responded well to that extra time."
Reynolds was pleased that more might be done to combat cancer and inspire communities, thanks to the long history built out of Prince George's original Romp 'n' Stomp concept. Over the years the name was changed, and each year there are different features to the 24-hour show, but what has been constant is the long duration.
"Going through the night is key," she said. "This is about going through a little discomfort, making a little sacrifice, making a commitment to just one day, as a way to have some reflection, in a small way, about what a cancer patient goes through every day."
Halley said their event is already seeing some growth and positive response thanks to the 24-hour proposal, even though it is more than a year away. The 19-hour test flight happens June 11 at the Millennium Park Amphitheatre in Surrey.
"Erin and Gwen are a wealth of knowledge to be able to pull from," Halley said. "Prince George has a very special event. We hear only excellent things about it."
She also sent some inspiration back to the North. Halley said she was aware that the Prince George event set a target of more than $400,000 this year and did not meet that mark.
"This year they raised $320,000 and that is huge," she said. "That is a remarkable amount of money. The community of Prince George should feel very proud. That is the kind of momentum we hope to see here."
