Relay for Life returned to Dundalk last weekend with a massively successful event and emotional which demonstrated community spirit at its best.
The Louth town had held the first ever Relay for Life in Ireland back in 2009 and the organisers were delighted to bring the fundraiser for the Irish Cancer Society back to Dundalk after a gap of several years.
For 24 hours, from 2pm on Saturday September 12 to 2pm on Sunday September 13, Dundalk Stadium turned into a beacon of hope as hundreds of people gathered to support those going through cancer treatment, celebrate the survivors and to remember those who have died as a result of the disease.
Teams took to the track every hour to raise much-needed funds for the Irish Cancer Society while local bands, musicians and DJs provided entertainment through the day and night.
The event got underway with the survivors’ lap as cancer survivors and their families walked to celebrate their journey.
Families and friends of people who have lost their lives to cancer remembered their loved ones and placed candles alongside the track in the Candle of Hope ceremony, a poignant display of enduring love, while the final lap on Sunday afternoon, the Golden Lap, honoured children affected by cancer.
There were cheers as two young people Keeva Ellis and Adam O’Hanlon had their hair cut to raise funds for the Irish Cancer Society.
So far, the event has raised just over €26,000 with the final amount still to be tallied.
“We are absolutely delighted with the response,” says Dundalk runner Colette O’Hagan, a committee member and ambassador for the event. “When we got together to organise the event eight months ago, we set our target at €10,000 so we are thrilled at the generosity of people who came out to support us.”
She described the day as being both “poignant and hugely uplifting.”
“The message behind Relay for Life is that help and encouragement are there for people when they get that awful diagnosis of cancer. You are never alone and there are always people there to support you.”
She praised the work of her fellow committee members and all those who supported them – the teams that took part, the sponsors, the musicians and entertainers, and Dundalk Stadium for their assistance in hosting the event.
As part of her own fund-raising for the Irish Cancer Society Colette set herself a personal challenge of running fifteen marathons during the summer and ended up doing twenty.
“Everyone worked so hard to make this happen and hopefully we will make it a bigger event next year.”