Walking through the night to celebrate and remember
WALKING around the Manor at three in the morning might not be everyone's idea of a good night out but 100 local people did just that – and had a great time in the process.
"It's been fantastic," said Diane Cairns. "It's doing something worthwhile and different, it's something people will always remember."
Diane was the organiser of Sheffield's Relay for Life at Sheffield Manor last weekend. Ten teams of mainly local people took part in the relay around a special track marked out roughly where Mary Queen of Scots used to stroll 400 years ago.
Each team of around 10 people ensured that at least one team member was walking during the 24 hours of the relay (from noon on Saturday to midday on Sunday).
The idea of the event was to remember people who had died as a result of cancer and to celebrate the 'survivors' who'd come through treatment. And some were walking the relay to celebrate their own personal achievement.
"I wanted to give something back for all those people who'd helped me," said Susan Wylie, who is recovering from breast cancer after treatment at Weston Park Hospital. "Without them I might not be here now."
"I'm very proud of her," added Susan's husband Stephen. "She's not given in to it."
In the past cancer was the big C word, Stephen added, and no-one wanted to talk about it. "But you can say it now. Cancer, cancer, cancer!" he laughed.
"It's been great to do this event, because we all get the feeling that we're all in it together," said Susan. "And I say to people that you've got to believe that you can get through and come out the other side."
All the walkers had someone in mind during the all-night marathon and many had celebrated friends or relatives by writing or drawing their names and a message on a special paper marker around the walking track, which had been lit with candles on Saturday evening.
During a special ceremony a set of candles by the edge of the track had been lit to read the word 'Hope', which was then transformed (by moving selected candles) to form the word 'Cure' .
"There wasn't a dry eye in the house at that point," said Diane Cairns.
Sue Turner, daughter Helena and friend Charlotte Hardy were taking part as an extension of the Race for Life they'd run earlier this year.
"This was a bit more difficult, especially early in the morning when it got a bit cold," she said, wrapped in her pyjamas. "It's a good idea to raise awareness of cancer research but I'd liked to have seen a few more people up here at 3am."
During the evening special themed laps had been organised – a hat lap warned about sun protection, a pants lap made the case for prostate cancer checks and a bra lap was to raise awareness of checks for breast cancer.
The whole event was themed to publicise the anti-cancer benefits of exercise and proper food – and sun cream was out in force after the sun had finally risen.
"I'm glad to have been part of this," said an exhausted Tracy Brown.
"I've been taking part in memory of my brother Barry," she said.
She was also thinking about her aunt, who'd died 20 years ago. Now, her aunt's diagnosis would have been much better.
"That was it in those days," Tracey said.
The idea of Relay for Life began in the USA, where surgeon and marathon runner Dr Gordy Klatt decided to run for 24 hours to raise money for cancer research. He circled a track in Washington for more than 83 miles and throughout the night 300 friends paid to run or walk with him, raising nearly $30,000 in the process.
Since then the idea of 'Relays for Life' to raise money for cancer research and promote the idea of exercise while doing so has caught on all over the world.
The Sheffield event raised 10,000 for cancer research, said Diane Cairns. "It was all about comradeship, with all these people coming together with one aim and theme. It's been inspirational.".
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Weather for Sheffield
Saturday 04 February 2012
Today
Heavy snow
Temperature: -2 C to -0 C
Wind Speed: 18 mph
Wind direction: South
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