By: Noeka Nimmervoll, Staff Writer
On March 21, the SFU Canadian Cancer Society (SFUCCS) hosted their annual Relay for Life fundraising event for the Canadian Cancer Society. Relay for Life is a Canada-wide student-led initiative organized at schools across the country. Co-chairs of SFUCCS Rhea Chand, Sukhman Ghuman, and Teona Seabrook organized the event with help from the Simon Fraser Student Society, the Canadian Cancer Society, and several SFU clubs.
Before the event, participants could register online as individuals or teams and set a fundraising goal to meet, with a recommended goal of $100. Their fundraising progress is tracked on the Online Fundraising Leaderboard, with top fundraising teams and individuals eligible for various prizes, such as tickets to the Capilano Suspension Bridge. On the day of the event, participants walked laps around convocation mall, among other events and entertainment. The Peak spoke with the co-chairs of SFUCCS to learn more.
The event has a community-building aspect that aims to uplift those impacted by cancer. “It’s a great way to show that you’re not alone in any struggle and that we should normalize being vulnerable with each other, because you never know the amount of community that you really have,” Chand expressed.
Seabrook added, “Throughout someone’s whole life in Canada, on average, one in two people will receive a cancer diagnosis and one in four people is going to die from cancer — usually in old age, but sometimes younger. So almost everyone, if not everyone, knows someone who’s experienced cancer or has gone through a cancer scare, if not, has gone through it themselves.”
They acknowledge the loss that comes with cancer, but also celebrate the victories.
“I almost think of Relay for Life like a celebration of life. We’re honouring cancer survivors, people who are currently going through treatment or have gone through treatment in the past, or even the loved ones of those survivors.”
— Sukhman Ghuman, co-chair of SFU Canadian Cancer Society
“So it’s almost like a celebration towards everyone.”
The group exceeded their $20,000 fundraising goal before the event date. “Reaching $23,000 would mean that our all-time fundraising total at SFU could reach $200,000,” shared Seabrook.
Proceeds from this year’s Relay for Life will fund cancer research by the Canadian Cancer Society and go towards services such as rides for patients undergoing treatment. “There’s also cancer lodges, [and] there’s a support helpline that gets funded as well,” Ghuman mentioned. The Canadian Cancer Society’s multi-pronged research ranges from highly tailored research in treatment, such as precision medicine, to overview-focused research in cancer prevention, such as population health research. The former evaluates the effects of certain genes on the effectiveness of cancer medicine, and the latter evaluates environmental, social, activity, and diet factors that impact long-term health.
Beyond their annual Relay for Life, the SFUCCS hosts other fundraising events throughout the year, whether it’s selling Krispy Kreme doughnuts or hosting a Barbie movie night with the SFU Women’s Centre during Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
The club is also devoted to informing the community. “We have a podcast called Daffodil Diaries that highlights stories about cancer survivors and their journeys. We’re trying to foster a community not only in person, using Relay for Life and our fundraisers — we’re also trying to build an online community and provide that support in any shape or form and putting our name out there that, hey, we do exist,” said Chand.
You can learn more about the SFUCCS @sfuccs on Instagram or relayforlife.ca/sfu.
