Adam Scott students hold Relay for Life
Main public event set for June 2 at Kenner
Peterborough’s first youth Relay For Life event took place Friday at Adam Scott Collegiate.
The 12-hour event began at 10 a.m., followed by an opening ceremony and the traditional survivors walk at 11 a.m.
To prepare for the event, some students were chosen to attend a conference in Toronto at the beginning of April.
Isaiah Kightley, a Grade 10 student at the school, was there.
“It was called Relay University,” he said.
“They explained the entire thing and what to do for it which really helped — that’s what got us started.”
The students who attended the conference make up the school’s Relay For Life committee — Kightley being the only male.
“It’s actually so much fun because there are people who are spending countless hours working and trying to get this final product,” he said.
Kightley said his motivation to get involved in the event was his school engagement.
“They invited me out and I was like sure it’s an amazing cause,” he said.
“Seeing a new fundraiser in the school is amazing and it’s going towards a good cause.”
Organizer Darcy White is a math teacher at the school.
“The kids are running it — I’m helping and I’m supervising, but the crew is incredible,” she said.
“They’ve done such an amazing job putting it all together.”
White says the school’s fundraising goal is $15,000.
“As of this morning, we we’re already at $11,500 and that was before any money came in today,” she said.
“So we should blow it out of the water.”
Events took place throughout the day.
“There’s a boys vs. girls soccer game with our soccer teams, we have inflatables and we’ll have a lip sync competition and a water baseball game later, too.”
Additionally, there will be an event called Dancing with The Lions.
The school has paired up female student dancers who dance at various studios throughout the city, with male students at the school who have no experience.
“They’ve been getting routines together and it’s a bit of a competition,” White said.
Cancer survivor Norma Gardner attended the event with her granddaughter, Gabrielle — a Grade 10 student at the school.
“I’ve been cancer free for four years now,” Gardner said.
Gardner had a total of 29 radiation treatments, as well as chemotherapy.
“It’s a frightful thing, but when you have all the support around you it really, really helps. And
I’m grateful that I’m here,” she said.
Born with neuroblastoma, Grade 8 student Millicent MacDonald is also a cancer survivor.
“I did treatment immediately at Sick Kids Hospital and only had four rounds of chemotherapy before I was good to go home,” she said.
“I was lucky.”
MacDonald has been involved with the Relay For Life event all of her life.
“I think it’s really cool that it’s being brought to the high schools so younger people can better understand,” MacDonald said.
“I’m trying to walk as much as I can, try to get as many laps as I can in and just really participate.”
After 6 p.m. the public was also invited to participate in the school’s events.
The Peterborough Relay For Life event will take place June 2 from 5 to 11 p.m. at Kenner Collegiate.