The yellow shirts, cancer survivors, prepare to start the Relay For Life at Masich Place. Photos 250News

Prince George, B.C. – The Canadian Cancer Society’s 24^th annual Prince George Relay for Life heads toward its 10 a.m. finish line with the goal of topping the country by raising $530,000.

Should the 24-hour relay wind up the top fundraising cancer relay in Canada once again it would mark the third straight year that lofty status has been achieved right here in Prince George.  As emcee Doug Jones kicked off the opening ceremony at 10 Saturday morning, $407,000 had been raised so far.  A total of 117 teams and 1,208 participants signed up for this year’s relay.

Event co-chair for Relay for Life Prince George, Melanie Blake, told the crowd at Masich Place Stadium “for the next 24 hours we will do what other relayers do in 40 communities across Canada and in 21 other countries.  By walking the track this weekend you are joining forces with nearly four million people worldwide who want to save lives and create a world where no one fears cancer.”

She also noted that Prince George event would not take place without the dedicated efforts of all of the volunteers and sponsors who throw their support behind it.

The Survivor Sponsor this year is Canadian Tire, and Jane Hilder (pictured right), Communications Manager with the company said “I learned a lot about what community really means this year and, like most lessons in life, I learned it from my mom.  My mom didn’t walk with me last year, she often had before.  She had a stomach bug she just couldn’t shake.  Little did we know that that stomach bug would be diagnosed as stage three colon cancer shortly after the relay.”

“It wasn’t an easy diagnosis or treatment plan, but when is cancer ever easy?  The moment my mom started her fight is very clear to me.  The physiotherapist had gotten her up and walking and before my dad and I could blink mom was briskly walking unassisted, saying that she needed to get practicing, she was going to wear a yellow shirt and “walk the mile”.  And so began our journey to being here today.”

Hilder said “the importance of what we are doing here today resonates with me this year more than any other year.  Cancer is personal, cancer is frightening and cancer can be deadly, but cancer is never taken on as an individual.  So many layers  of community helped my mom and our family be here today.”

No one wants to be picked to be on the Survivor team and have to go through the trenches to get here.  But man is it an unstoppable force and winning team to be a part of.  Community and this sea of yellow is a pretty powerful weapon against cancer, isn’t it.  And so we walk together, as a team.”

As is the case each year the opening ceremony is followed by the Survivor Victory Lap of the stadium.  And this year during the lap, a Lockheed CP-140 Aurora from Royal Canadian Airforce Squadron 407, based in Comox, did a fly-by above Masich Place to salute the courage of the survivors with a tip of its wing.

The Aurora was scheduled to do “a” fly-by.  But much to the delight of the survivors and all of the supporters and participants on hand, the 35.61 metre-long craft with a wing span 30.38 metres returned for a second salute and yet a third before heading out of sight to the southwest.

And the only 24-hour Relay for Life in Canada was underway.