Organisers ‘thrilled’ with first Relay your Way

A different format for this year’s Relay for Life didn’t stop South Cantabrians from doing their bit for the Cancer Society.

Now in its 21st year in New Zealand, Relay for Life began in the United States in 1985, and has become the world’s largest cancer fundraising event. Traditionally held at one location with participants walking and running throughout the night, the complications of planning the event under shifting Covid-19 regulations saw the relay switched to ‘Relay Your Way’, with teams going virtual, doing the relay with just their own team, or tuning into livestreamed events.

South Canterbury Cancer Society centre manager Leola Wilson said, although around 60 people had registered on the website, the actual number of participants would be ‘‘a couple of hundred or more’’, with several workplaces taking part in different ways. Eleven teams were registered in South Canterbury, with Timaru District Council getting ahead of the pack circling the town’s library for ten hours on Friday.

Mitre 10 Mega Timaru had a treadmill instore, with staff taking turns throughout opening hours over the weekend.

Teams also held fundraising raffles, sold baking and dressed in purple to mark the event. The South Canterbury Cancer Society’s social media page ran updates every half hour, and livestreams of its opening ceremony, candle lighting and closing ceremony. Wilson said it was too soon to know how fundraising had gone this year, as the format meant events were ongoing.

She said they wouldn’t have total figures until at least next week. But Wilson said she would be ‘‘pretty thrilled’’ with any amount coming in, as the past two years had been very difficult for charities.

‘‘Last year we didn’t get Daffodil Day, and not being able to hold a normal Relay for Life ... we’ve been hammered.’’