#RevivetheRelay is the hashtag that will soon be a social media trend in Prince George when word spreads that three UNBC students have taken up the challenge to restart the 24-Hour Relay for Life in 2026, which was killed off by the pandemic.
In its heyday, Prince George’s 24-Hour Relay for Life, a mega-fundraising event for the Canadian Cancer Society, was ranked No. 1 in the country four years running, reaching its crescendo in 2017 with more than $500,000 raised locally.
Ready to resurrect the Relay for Life to its former glory are Victoria Bleecker, first-year student in the Northern Medical Program, Maleen Barry, registered nurse (oncology) who studied at UNBC, and Zoe Younghusband, fourth-year nursing student, who is looking to enter the Northern Medical program.
Having lost a grandma and grandpa to cancer, Younghusband, taking on site lead duties for the event, said she knows so many people have been touched by cancer and acknowledges the 24-Hour Relay for Life was always a popular event that meant so much to the people of Prince George.
“I know there are so many people who are eager for the 24-Hour Relay for Life to come back,” Younghusband said, calling it a passion project for her friends.
“Victoria and I have worked collaboratively many times before on different projects and when Victoria asked me to be site lead on the project I knew I wanted to support her and the project in whatever way I could to help bring it back to the community," she said. "So far it’s been really rewarding and I am super-stoked to bring it back to Prince George. I think it’s been a well-loved and very missed event in our community.”
In 2023 the fundraising event was cancelled and it never really came back after that except for smaller versions, mostly at high schools, she added.
Once Masich Place Stadium, where the event was held for years, had an artificial turf installed, the Relay for Life was moved to Exhibition Park in 2018 because the infield at Masich couldn’t have tents pitched on it.
The relay wasn’t the same at that location because people were so spread out.
In 2020 and 2021 the fundraiser was cancelled because of the pandemic. In 2022 it was reduced to a shadow of its former self, re-imagined as a six-hour walk at the track at Ecole Lac Des Bois, but it was cancelled at the last minute due to high winds.
In 2023 it was cancelled outright, citing lack of volunteers and participants as the reason for its demise.
MP Todd Doherty did the 24-Hour Relay for Life on his own twice in the past and said he is so excited it’s making its way back to Prince George in 2026.
“I speak quite frequently with the Canadian Cancer Society and I sent them my latest feedback form on July 4 to tell them they need to reinstate this event and get it going again in Prince George because it was unique,” Doherty said.
“It brought people from all across Canada to walk and remember and I am ecstatic it’s coming back. This is great news. It gave us an opportunity to rally around those who have fought and battled cancer and won or those who were in the battle at that time and to lift those who lost loved ones. To lift them up and as a community to wrap our arms around them and to remember those we’ve lost. It is such a powerful event.”
Doherty said it was around 1999 when he first helped organize the event.
“I didn’t really know what it was and I remember my first night ceremony and I was moved to tears,” Doherty recalled.
“We’ve lost loved ones as a family and I had lost friends to the terrible disease and so that candlelight ceremony — I’m getting choked up right now as we talk about it — it is an amazing event and we held it at Masich Place and it was an incredible event. You had families there and the kids were playing and music was playing. Kyle Sampson did the midnight to 8 a.m. show — he was the DJ and what an amazing show — empowering those of us who were walking for 24 hours or those who were taking their turns walking the laps. I’m excited and I will start doing my fundraising right away. Sign me up! I hope I can do the 24 hours. It will be a challenge for me but it pales in comparison to the fight those who have this terrible disease go through. This is such an amazing event.”
Younghusband shared that the trio had a meeting with the city recently to inquire about possible venues and put in a request for Masich Place Stadium for the last weekend in June 2026.
“Unfortunately we cannot confirm until the new year because that’s when the city does their bookings but it’s looking that way,” Younghusband said. “But I can’t confirm until the city gives us the green light.”
Doherty said he hopes the city administration will see their way to letting the organizing committee host the event at Masich Place once again.
“We’ve got an incredible upgraded stadium and I hope there’s a way that we can host it there,” Doherty said.
“It makes all the difference — it’s in a compact area, safe for families and it’s just a great venue and I will be there and I will start my fundraising right away.”
In the meantime as site lead, Younghusband is putting out the call for any vendors and food trucks that might be interested in participating in this revival of the Relay for Life.
“We’re also looking for in-kind donations and sponsorships,” Younghusband said.
“We’ll also have a tree at the Festival of Trees so we’re looking for donations for under the tree or decorations. So that’s the stage we’re at right now and we’re super excited to get this going and I think it will be a good year for this to happen. I think we’re far enough away from the pandemic and we’re ready to host again so we’re working really hard to get it off the ground.”
For more information email [email protected].
To see Doherty on his Relay for Life in 2023, check out his video at www.facebook.com/square.guy/videos/2152585094940632/.
