Prince George, B.C. –  Once again the community of Prince George  has  given, and given, and given.

The 24 hour Relay for Life,  held at Masich Place Stadium,  has  netted $535 thousand dollars.  It is the only  24 hour  relay  held in Canada, and  nearly 20% of the money  came from the event itself.  Organizers   had already  raised 420 thousand before the event  started.

Kicking off with the Survivors Lap,  and  leading into  the luminary  display last night to mark  those  who  are on a cancer journey  or have  lost their battle,  the event  brings together cancer survivors, families and friends  with common goals,  to  raise money for cancer research  and to support the Kordyban Lodge.

The chilly  damp  weather didn’t deter participation, as  112 teams  and individuals  made up  the more than  1100 people  who took part in the  event.

The  real  shocker of the event was the winner of the  car.   For every $500 dollars raised,  a person could have  an entry   to win a car.   The winner this year,  is just 6 years old!  Carter Marshall  had raised  nearly $2 thousand dollars  ( with some help from his family).   It’s going to be a  while before he can  drive his prize (and doesn’t need a booster seat)  but Carter chose the blue Nissan Micra,  which his parents will be happy to chauffer Carter around in  until he is old enough to get a license.

For the past three years,  Prince George has been the number one  fundraiser  for Relay  for Life,  raising  $556 thousand last year.

This year,  the goal  was $550 thousand,  and with donations  accepted until August,  there’s a pretty good chance they will  meet  or exceed that goal.