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Village Wellness Participates in Relay For Life

I don’t think anyone could have anticipated the growth the Relay For Life would experience after the first event was held in 1999 and raised $85,000. By the 10th anniversary in Canada the Relay had grown to over 451 events across the country, more than 200,000 participants and an astonishing 50.8 million dollars raised in 2008.

Nova Scotian communities are no exception with 22 events planned this past June to help contribute, and this number keeps growing.  In 2008 there were over 11,000 participants across Cape Breton and the Mainland as more and more Nova Scotians deal with the harrowing reality that cancer is a disease that is far reaching, with no age group or population immune.  Nova Scotia has the highest rates of cancer in all Canadian provinces and territories with over 5,800 new cases diagnosed in 2008, 38 of those in children.  There are currently more than 29,000 Nova Scotians living with cancer.

The health care team at Village Wellness participated in The Bay Relay for Life, which includes the communities of St. Margaret’s Bay, Hammonds Plains, Beechville, Lakeside and Timberlea, as a way to become involved with the community and give back.  A team of eleven was assembled in March which included doctors, staff and friends of the clinic.  Each participant fundraised individually and patients in the clinic gave generously as well.  The Village Wellness team raised over $900 and was pleased to see the sun shining as they arrived at Sir John A. MacDonald Field on June 6th 2009.  The practitioners of Village Wellness gave their time to provide complimentary assessments and treatment to the participants who had a long night of walking ahead of them.  The Outreach by Village Wellness was a welcome addition to The Bay Relay which celebrated its fourth year.  This year there was a record twenty seven teams with 277 participants whom raised over $73,000 which will be used to support Cancer research and provide funding for local institutions like the Cancer Lodge on South Street in Halifax and Camp Goodtime in New Glasgow.

The Relay for Life is an international event which Celebrates cancer survivors, Remembers loved ones lost and Fights Back in the hope of finding a cure.  Village Wellness is proud to support such a worthy cause and would like to thank the organizing committee for including us.  We look forward to the 2010 Bay Relay For Life which will be held the first weekend in June.  For more information visit the Canadian Cancer Society Relay for Life.