It was a windy afternoon as military personnel worked diligently to put up and secure tents that will be used during Relay For Life festivities at CFB North bay on Friday night.
The six-hour event starts at 6 p.m. which is described by organizers as a journey, not a cancer walk.
More than 350 participants have signed up this year.
Pharand feels the highlight is the survivor walk and the luminary ceremony.
“People get together and it’s a real emotional time,” said Gil Pharand, Senior Manager of the North Bay Canadian Cancer Society.
“People remember, people celebrate and when those lights go off and you have the field surrounded in the luminaries lighting it up it really is a touching moment and it’s a time for people to reflect on life and what it has brought them.”
That survivor walk will start off event.
“It’s a chance for everyone to celebrate our survivors as they do that first lap for us so we ask any survivors in the community to come out and do that lap. What it shows is unity, it shows people aren’t alone in their battles and people aren’t alone in their successes either and their celebrations,” said Pharand.
Pharand says the event couldn’t happen without the dedicated support once again at CFB North Bay.
“It’s amazing the way they come together to help us organize this and they have really taken ownership of Relay for Life and they have been part of it for the last 16 years, so it’s amazing,” said Pharand.
Major Shawn Guilbault says the military starts organizing for the annual event every January.
“Both the volunteers and the support helps us who are transient in lifestyle become more a part of the community but I think people do it out of the goodness of their hearts,” said Guilbault about the outreach from CFB North Bay personnel.
“Most of us have been touched by cancer in some way, whether its family or friends, it means something to them to come out and help.”