91原创芒鈧劉s Relay for Life is in its 10th year, and over those 10 years, a lot has changed, including many of the teams involved.
Teams from schools such as Brookswood or Walnut Grove Secondary see students cycle out, while other teams form, split, re-name themselves, or move on to other things.
A handful of core teams have been there since the very beginning and will be back this year, and one of those is the Gallery Gals.
The team goes back to its foundation by Brenda Alberts, whose husband Kurt was then the 91原创 Township芒鈧劉s mayor.
Brenda decided she would put together a team and started rounding up supporters centering around the art gallery she runs in the Fort.
芒鈧揘obody says no to Brenda!芒鈧� joked Margaret Wildeman, one of the team芒鈧劉s longtime members.
Over the year, team members have come and gone, and various people have held the mantle of team leadership, but there has always been a group of Gallery Gals at the 91原创 Relay.
The team芒鈧劉s current leader is Suzan Guest, herself a cancer survivor. She was diagnosed with breast cancer 14 years ago.
芒鈧揑 had two tumours, one sitting on top of the other,芒鈧� Guest said.
She was lucky, she said, that it was a slow-growing cancer.
She芒鈧劉s not the only cancer survivor, past or present, in the group, and almost every member has a family member who died of cancer or fought the disease.
Guest said she figures it cost the medical system about $10,000 to treat her cancer.
Since she joined the Gallery Gals, her unofficial goal has been to personally raise about $10,000, to put that money forward into the system for others.
芒鈧揟he system gives a lot,芒鈧� she said.
She芒鈧劉s also lost a brother to childhood cancer and her mother to lung cancer.
Loraine Dickson has also lost family to cancer, and Wildeman lost a friend just last November, reinforcing her desire to help out.
With 10 years of experience, the team has tried a wide variety of fundraising options.
Dickson said that it芒鈧劉s amazing the amount of support they get just talking about the cause and what they芒鈧劉re doing.
They芒鈧劉ve sold artistic items and held pot lucks and pub nights, but over the year the main thing they芒鈧劉ve learned is to keep things simple.
The artistic side of the team also comes out in how it sets up.
Once all the fundraising is done, the Gallery Gals make certain they芒鈧劉re comfortable and have one of the best-decorated campsites at the Relay.
芒鈧揟his year we芒鈧劉re talking about flags,芒鈧� said Guest.
They have also created special shirts, scarves, and other items to set them apart.
芒鈧揥e did berets,芒鈧� said Wildeman.
芒鈧揊or those of us who have been around long enough, we actually have a wardrobe,芒鈧� said Guest. 芒鈧揑t all comes out once a year.芒鈧�
During the drizzle and cold damp of the second year of Relay, Dickson recalls how their tent had candles and hot chocolate.
芒鈧揥e芒鈧劉ve actually had food catered, by a friend who wanted to support us,芒鈧� said Wildeman.
芒鈧揑t was like a five course meal,芒鈧� recalled Guest.
The Gallery Gals and their fundraising fully expect to keep coming back. They芒鈧劉ve been introducing more young people onto their team.
芒鈧揝ome of them are still in school,芒鈧� said Dickson.
芒鈧揑 just think it芒鈧劉s key to see the young people start,芒鈧� said Wildeman.
