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Celebrate. Remember. Fight. Relay for Life is June 15

Part celebration, part memorial, part group therapy, the festive fundraiser for cancer research turns 18

Cancer survivor Elizabeth Szilva said she can't wait for June 15 to roll around.

The English teacher at St. Benedict Catholic Secondary School will participate in the Canadian Cancer Society's 19th annual Relay for Life in Sudbury. She said she looks forward to being surrounded by people who are in the same situation, and being part of something “that is greater than this horrible disease we are trying to obliterate.”

“That's what's really important for me,” she said.

Szilva was diagnosed with bladder cancer in June 2017. Her doctor found a tumour, and it was removed by July. She underwent chemotherapy in Sudbury, then was sent home to recuperate.

“My journey with cancer really started after that,” she said. “From diagnosis to treatment was really quick, but when I got home, it really started to sink in that I had cancer, and it scared me — a lot,” she said. “My doctor told me it's treatable, and that's how I dealt with it. Every time I got worried, I would just tell myself it's treatable.”

Today, she is cancer free, although she still receives treatment every three months.

“It's all because of organizations like the cancer society that patients like me can get fast access to treatment and followups, the quicker the followup, the faster they can find anything that might regrow,” she said.

Szilva is already familiar with Relay for Life. St. Ben's raises money to fight cancer and hosts its own relay, and this year it's slated for June 1. A few months ago, she was duct taped to a wall to raise money for the cancer society.

She said the cancer society has been there every step of the way.

“I've really depended on the cancer society's web page, which has so much information,” she said. “Online group chats were also very helpful. There's a big online community, and we help each other with any questions or concerns any of us might have.

“I've gone through my journey with the cancer society really holding my hand the entire way through it, and I'm honoured to have been asked to be their survivor this year.”

Having lost a sister to colorectal cancer, she already had an appreciation for the Relay for Life. This year, it's even more meaningful.

“It gives people a chance to not only raise money, but to celebrate loved ones who have passed, or to celebrate loved ones who are still fighting cancer,” she said. “I can't wait to be a part of the luminary ceremony, and to remember my sister.”

Relay for Life is a six-hour event with a festival-like atmosphere that family, friends and co-workers can enjoy, regardless of age or fitness level, said MacKenzie Demspter, volunteer communications outreach lead with the Canadian Cancer Society and a committee member for Relay for Life.

“Whether you are cheering on survivors, walking the track, passing the baton to your teammate or joining in exciting track-side activities, Relay for Life is more than just a cancer walk — it's a journey,” Dempster said.

In the last 18 years, Relay for Life in Greater Sudbury has raised more than $4.8 million. That money goes to Canada's most promising cancer research and support services for those living with cancer and their families.

Relay for Life happens June 15 at the Laurentian University track. Opening ceremonies take place at 7 p.m. Followed by the survivor's lap. The luminary ceremony takes place at 10 p.m.

For more information, visit cancer.ca/relay.

*An earlier version of this story included an incorrect headline and photo information, misidentifying the person pictured as a cancer survivor. That has been corrected. Sudbury.com apologizes for the error. 


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Arron Pickard

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