Changes for Relay for Life 2015

Jan 28, 2015

At the kick off event for this year's 2015 North and Central Frontenac Relay for Life, which took place at the Sharbot Lake Legion on January 23, long-time chair Lesley Merrigan announced that it would be her final year heading up the event.

Merrigan, who has been part of the relay for eight years and chair for the last four, said that it is time for a change in leadership. “Every good thing needs to be refreshed and people in the community here need an opportunity to take the event to a new height. For that reason I think that it's time for a new leader to step in.”

Merrigan credited her long-time leadership team for making the event such a success, which over its eight-year history has raised close to half a million dollars for the Canadian Cancer Society. “As chair you get all of the glory but it is the leadership team, which has changed very little over my four years as chair, that have made the event such a success.” Merrigan stressed that her stepping down is no way a sad thing and she looks forward to seeing a new, fresh face take up the cause.

Nine new teams signed up at the kick off on Friday night, making a total of 13 committed teams for this year's relay. Organizers are hoping for 20 teams to participate. Merrigan admitted that that will be a challenge since a number of survivors who have relayed for years unfortunately lost their battles with cancer this past year.

With that in mind Merrigan added that the event is the perfect place to be for those who have lost loved ones to the disease. “Cancer and the loss of loved ones is often not an easy thing to come to terms with but it is often the sadness, the anger and the frustration that that drives us and so many others to take part.” Merrigan is putting out the call to past relayers, especially in the north, to join up this year and said that she may be able to arrange transportation for them.

Though this will be Merrigan's last year as chair, she is putting as much into this relay as she has in the past and has already announced some interesting changes for the 2015. Instead of commencing on Friday night and running straight through until Saturday morning, the relay will begin in Parham on Saturday, June 20 at noon and run until midnight that same day. A lot of participants have found that relaying overnight is difficult, can interfere with work and can be exhausting, and Merigan said, "The hope is that more relayers will take part and we believe that the time change will make it easier for youngsters and older participants.”

Merrigan said that more daylight hours at the event will also allow for more activities to take place that otherwise might not have been possible. The luminary ceremony, which is one of the most emotional and visually beautiful happenings at the Relay will continue, and as one of the final events of the evening will make for a very emotional ending. Also new this year will be a great line up of local bands, and new activities, which will be announced as plans unfold.

Merrigan said that she is stepping down as chair with no regrets at all and she plans to continue volunteering in the community.

As far as her advice to a new leader, she said that they should have no fear. “When you are doing something community based in this community you cannot fail. This is an important cause and because of that there will always be people who want to support you.”

Merrigan will be available to mentor the incoming chair and she stressed that the role presents a great opportunity to fulfill the need to give back to the community. “I have seen so many people come to Relay as a way to express all of the mixed feelings that go along with experiencing cancer. The event gives permission to people to demonstrate and experience their emotions in ways that normally they would not and to do so with people who are experiencing the same feelings. I feel very privileged to have been a part of that over the years.”

For more information about the relay or if you are interested in chairing next year's event contact Lesley Merrigan at 613-279-3144 or Christine Teal at 613-375-6525. You can also visit www.relayforlife.ca