2014 Relay For Life Kicks Off

Apr 03, 2014

Judging by the numbers at the kick off breakfast on March 29, this year's North and Central Frontenac Relay for Life will be the best one yet. Over 150 breakfasts were served up by the relay committee. The event raised donations for the local food bank and included musical entertainment by Jim MacPherson, Shawn McCullough and Adam Lake's band One Broken Ego.

Five more teams joined the existing 10 and they will all be out in force on June 20 at the Parham fairgrounds. Relay chair Lesley Merrigan said that the annual event “makes the biggest impact for the Canadian Cancer Society (CCS) and brings much needed services and support to local people whose loved ones are fighting a battle with cancer.” She was pleased with the turn out and said she is 30% ahead of her benchmark as far as team sign up goes.

Speaking at the breakfast were representatives from this year's sponsors, including Sandra Clow from the local Oddfellows & Rebekahs, who presented a $2,000 cheque to Merrigan, Marcel Giroux of W.A. Robinson Asset Management Ltd., and Jonathon Deroche of North Frontenac Telephone Company, as well as representatives from the CCS.

Bob Brooks, the communication and media chair for this year's relay, said he is amazed at the support that the community has for this annual event. He also let the proverbial cat out of the bag and announced that local musician Shawn McCullough will be adding his considerable songwriting talents to the relay with a song he penned in honor of his father, Lyn, who passed away from cancer two years ago.

McCullough wrote the song, which he titled “Fight”, just two months ago. “Watching my dad battle and seeing the determination he had even though he knew that his cancer could not be cured was what inspired me to finally write the song.” McCullough said that the song is his way of giving back to the local community and that it was “easy to write because it was real and it's a story I think that people can really relate to.” Shawn said the time spent at his dad's bedside inspired some of the lyrics. “I remember one night sitting there and thinking to myself...'He's going down swinging and he's not going quietly into the night.' That's when I knew for sure that I could write about this. .. The line 'bite your lip and pull your hat down son and turn and face the wind', are words my dad actually said to me.” He added that the song is neither sad nor gloomy but has an uplifting message. "It's an empowering song and that is what I was going for.”

McCullough sang “Fight” at the kick off breakfast and many tears were shed, with McCullough admitting that he had to fight back some of his own.

He said that he has entered the song into this year’s CBC Searchlight competition. “We’re hoping to have hard copies available to purchase by the end of May”, he said.

McCullough and Merrigan are planning to crowd-source funds to get copies of the song printed with the hopes of setting up a pay-per-download deal with proceeds going to Relay for Life.

Lesley Merrigan said, “Shawn agreed to donate all of the proceeds from the song to relay and I knew that I had to step up to the plate to help make it so.” She has since made contact with other volunteer relay leaders in the province and many have requested orders for the song. She said that the song has the potential to go international since the Relay for Life is an international event.

To hear “Fight” go to the CBC Searchlight page (music.cbc.ca/#/artists/Shawn-McCullough) and go to the Ottawa region and vote for Shawn's song and listen to it by clicking the blue “on demand” button. Voters can vote up to 10 times per day per device until April 6. Shawn said that if his song were to win the competition, he would donate some of prize of $20,000 in musical equipment to the Relay for Life. Anyone interested in purchasing the song can contact Lesley Merrigan at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Lesley and her team are still looking for volunteers as well as more teams. Call Christine Teal at 613-375-6525 of Lesley at 613-279-3144 or sign up online at relay.ca