Relay ready to ‘walk all over cancer’

THE weekend of Relay For Life has arrived, with hundreds of people preparing to carry out a 24-hour relay at Tim Smythe Park in Ennis.

The Survivors’ lap kicks off at 2pm and throughout the 24 hours a variety of entertainment will take place including music, face painting, magicians, Irish dancers, the gospel choir, yoga and more.

The emotional Candle of Hope ceremony will see the lights around the Fair Green switched off at dusk, leaving symbolic candles lighting the track as survivors are celebrated and loved ones are remembered.

Candle bags can be purchased at the event for €5, which are then decorated and dedicated in celebration of a survivor or loved one. Anne Moloney, chairperson of the Candle of Hope ceremony, tells The Clare Echo,

lAnne Moloney

“It’s a very humbling experience to be there, and very emotional, you’re seeing people’s rawness. When dusk has fallen, people are very emotional. You’re in darkness, nobody is watching you.

“A lot of the people coming would have had their family member with them maybe four years ago and they’re gone now, for those people it’s a very emotional, raw thing.”

The survivors’ lap will kick off Relay For Life with the survivors wearing their purple T-shirts carrying out the first lap. The second lap will see families, carers, ambulance drivers, cancer nurses take to the track before everyone falls in.

If you’re not part of a team, Anne is encouraging everyone to come along and participate in some way. “You can pay €10 for your white T-shirt with Relay For Life on it and do one lap, do 20 laps if you like. Our punchline is ‘we won’t stop until cancer stops and we’ll walk all over cancer, so every step matters’. The more the merrier.”

She adds that it’s important to remember that fundraising is a crucial aspect of the weekend. “Every small bit we do will make a big difference down the line. Through all of this, my own sister found a lump in her chest through the standard mammogram. Thank God she’s come out the other side.”

Relay For Life begins at 2pm on Saturday and concludes at 2pm on Sunday. For more information, visit Relay For Life Ennis on Facebook.