The 2014 Relay for Life may officially kick off at Masich Place Stadium at 10 a.m. on Saturday, but for the members of Team Diller, it's a year-round event.
Last year, their first entry in the Canadian Cancer Society's largest fundraiser, Team Diller raised more than $17,500. This year, team members have pulled in nearly $23,000 and hope to surpass the $24,000 mark by the time they're done.
"Team Diller is a wonderful example of relay spirit," said local Relay for Life team lead Helen Owen. "This team relays 365 - their fundraising continues year-round. Not only do they do a tremendous job of fundraising, but they also incorporate awareness in everything they do."
The team is named in memory of Chelsey Styler, who succumbed to cervical cancer less than two years ago at the age of 34.
"My dad, Dave, nicknamed her 'Diller' when she was little, after Phyllis Diller, because her hair was blonde and would stick up," said team captain Crystal Styler.
Crystal described her late cousin Chelsey as "fun-loving and always laughing." She is survived by four children under the age of 12 - Austin, Haley, Parker and Victoria.
In total, Team Diller has 18 registered members and about 40 supporters, with the core made up of Crystal's father Dave, mom Gail and sister Tanya.
The team's fundraising initiatives last year included bottle drives, a garage sale, door-to-door canvassing, e-mail and social media requests and cotton candy sales. This year, they added a couple of pub nights and three different raffles, all officially sanctioned by B.C. Gaming. Two of the raffle draws, for a Jasper getaway and a hand-crafted chess set, will be held Saturday at 6 p.m. at the stadium.
"We didn't know it at the time last year, but we set the bar very high," said Dave, whose team finished the 2013 relay as the top fundraiser. "For us as a team now, we are looked upon to continue doing that."
The Relay for Life has so captured the imagination of the Styler family that Team Diller even has an off-shoot this year - a kids' team led by nine-year-old Kiara, who has been making and selling her own jewelry in support of the event.
Now in its 22nd year, the 24-hour Prince George Relay for Life has a Las Vegas theme and will open Saturday morning with a victory lap, will feature a fight-back ceremony at 7 p.m. and a luminary ceremony of remembrance at midnight.
"It's powerful, exciting, uplifting," said Gail. "We don't go to bed. We walk, we stay up. Last year, some of us walked probably 21 hours out of the 24."
