With the goal of raising awareness and creating more resources for people living with cancer, Bert Church High School is gearing up for its annual cancer fundraiser event – a campaign known as Relay for Life.
Set to take place until June 2, the fundraising campaign promises to present an exciting and meaningful opportunity for students, parents, and members of the east Airdrie school to come together in support of a worthy cause. On that day, teams of up to 10 will take turns walking around the track at Ed Eggerer Athletic Park throughout the day.
Since its foundation in 2019, the annual fundraiser – which is organized by students – has experienced tremendous growth, raising an average of more than $25,000 each year for the Canadian Cancer Society. The event has become a cornerstone of the school's fundraising efforts and has rallied the student body to support the ongoing fight against cancer.
Ryan Jones, the Bert Church teacher assisting the students in planning this year’s campaign, stressed the importance of the fundraiser and its potential to unite the community toward a shared goal.
"Students found this fundraiser when they attended a conference, and they started talking to their peers to take action,” Jones said. “They said that they really want to do this and are passionate about it. The tagline is “We should live in a world without cancer” and they want to make sure that they can do that.”
Banding together for a good cause, the students of Bert Church are once again rallying support for their annual fundraiser event.
“Last year they raised just over $25,000 and this year they are set to raise $27,500 to kind of push themselves,” Jones said.
According to Jones, in today's world, it's easy for high-school students to get caught up in their own lives and lose sight of the power of community. However, Relay for Life is a reminder that together, they can achieve incredible things.
“We all have common things that we overlook on a day-to-day basis, but an event like this brings us together for a common cause,” Jones said. “Last year we had 130 participants from our school and some of their family members. Students aim to get to 200 or more participants this year,” he added.
Relay For Life began with a kick-off event on April 21, during which students raised an initial $700 in a span of just 10 minutes.
As the June 2 deadline approaches in the coming weeks, the school is encouraging everyone to get involved and show their support. With the support of students, parents, and the wider community, this year's campaign promises to be a resounding success in the fight against cancer.
For more information or to make a donation, please contact Ryan Jones at [email protected].
