GALLERY: Relay for Life participants walk from dusk until dawn

Shelley said it helps to know there’s support in Prince Albert.

“There’s so many kids that have been through all this, and it just means a whole bunch to our families for sure.”

Chelsea received her cancer diagnosis in July 2012, and the family spent four and a half months in Calgary last year while she underwent a transplant. She has been in remission since June 2014.

“It wasn’t easy with three girls, moving to Calgary for four and a half months, but we’ll take it, because she’s here and she’s alive.”

Chelsea described her battle with leukemia as scary. “Mixed emotions,” she added.

This year, they walked in support of Team Chelsea.

Close to 50 teams took part in the walk, which also aims to raise funds for cancer research. Last year, the event raised more than $200,000.

For Kim Wawro, what stood out was hearing all of the names of those who have cancer.

“Like people that you know their names but maybe didn’t realize that they’ve had cancer,” she said.

Wawro herself is a survivor and took part in the survivor’s lap at the beginning of the Relay for Life. She was diagnosed with a form of breast cancer in January 2014 and underwent a double mastectomy.

She was joined by Kim Orynik, who has been taking part in the event since 2004.

Orynik was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2003. She went through a full year of chemotherapy treatments and underwent an operation.

“What’s nice to know as a survivor is that every time I come, I keep seeing familiar faces around me, and even though I may not know those people personally, we recognize each other’s faces and we say ‘hello’ and we walk a bit and talk a bit.”

She said it’s nice to know that there are so many survivors.

“Things must be happening in the research field and with treatments that we do have so many survivors that are walking around the track. So, that ‘hope’ sign that’s out there, we walk around and we see it and we see it in white now, that hope is there.”

The word ‘hope’ was formed on the side of a small hill beside the track with white bags filled with candles – the luminaries. The luminaries were lit at sundown and attendees stopped for a moment of silence to honour those who have fought cancer.

The honourary chairs of this year’s event, Dave and Marilyn Young have both battled cancer. Marilyn has ovarian cancer and was diagnosed in October 2011 and her husband had colon cancer, but said he doesn’t have it anymore.

“Life can throw you a lot of curves,” Dave said. “If you choose to lie down and whine, you’re done. Nothing says life is fair, and you got to be willing to deal with the cards that are dealt you.”

He describes his wife as tough.

Marilyn said she gets choked up when she sees all of the support – including from young people who don’t have cancer. She said they’re the ones who are working hard to raise money for someone else.

“And that someone else is me it’s going towards. It’s a great honour. It’s humbling.”

Cancer touched their family years earlier when their daughter, then seven years old, was diagnosed with leukemia. Dave described this as probably the toughest time, and what followed was what he called a “rollercoaster” ride.

When a woman with the Children’s Wish Foundation asked their daughter what she wanted, Marilyn said their daughter said to give the wish to a sick kid, because she wasn’t sick.

Their daughter is now 32 years old and is a pediatric nurse at Royal University Hospital.

“So, there’s happy endings and that’s what I mean, you don’t lie down and give up, because there are happy endings,” Dave said.

The relay will continue until 6 a.m. on Saturday, just after dawn.

To see a gallery of photos, click here.

-With files from Nigel Maxwell.

tjames@panow.com

On Twitter: @thiajames

by Thia James

GALLERY: Relay for Life participants walk from dusk until dawn

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