One of the key moments of every Relay for Life event is the luminary ceremony.
Every year at the Canadian Cancer Society fundraiser, the majority of the lights at McLeod Athletic Park are doused.
The relayers – hundreds of people united by a desire to find better treatments for cancer – find themselves bathed in the golden light of the luminaries. These simple white paper bags lit from within by candles are decorated with the names of people who have died of cancer before their time.
The Langley Relay for Life has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars over the years for the Cancer Society.
It has served as the inspiration for countless charity car washes, garage sales, pub nights, and requests for cash from friends and family.
There are participants who will be there this year who have attended every year. Others have come and gone, or will be taking their first trip around the track this year.
It has continued for more than a decade now because there is a need for people to come together to acknowledge that cancer is a disease that affects everyone.
It is impossible to pass by hundreds of luminaries lining the track and not realize that each one marks a tragedy. A mother, father, daughter, son, sibling, or friend lost to a disease.
And yet, the obvious counterpoint is the sea of yellow shirts that are worn by cancer survivors each year.
Anyone whose life has been touched by cancer can come by this Friday’s Relay for Life, starting at 6 p.m. at McLeod Athletic Park. It’s a yearly vision of hope.
– M.C.