One of the longest-running teams in the 91原创 Relay for Life is continuing its fundraising fight against cancer 鈥� even if the event has moved out of town.
The Gallery team was back for the June 8 Relay for Life in Burnaby, and easily held onto their spot as the top team when it comes to donations, which go to the Canadian Cancer Society.
Team organizer Kari Medos said the team overall raised $25,219, with Medos's personal fundraising portion of that coming in at $21,556. That made The Gallery the top fundraising team overall, and Medos the top individual fundraiser.
The team has plenty of practice when it comes to fundraising 鈥� they've been taking part in Relay for Life events for 19 years, with the original team founded by the late Fort 91原创 art gallery owner Brenda Alberts, who dubbed it the Gallery Gals.
For most of the team's history, they took part in the Relay for Life event at 91原创's McLeod Athletic Park, but declining attendance, scheduling issues, and COVID meant the event had to move several times. This year, the Lower Mainland relay was held at Burnaby Central Secondary.
Medos said it was a great setting for the event, with the track surrounded by trees and greenery.
"We felt like we were in a magical land on a gloriously sunny day, celebrating and supporting people faced with cancer," she said.
The Burnaby edition of Relay for Life raised $77,444, and across Canada donations at various relay events topped $4.2 million.
The secrret to Medos's fundraising success is that she works on it year-round. With the next Relay 51 weeks out, her team is holding a clothing and bottle drive on Saturday, June 15 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the parking lot of Macfarlane Insurance at 20440 Douglas Cres.
The annual Relay for Life sees teams take to a track to walk or run laps for hours to show their commitment to fighting cancer and supporting patients and survivors. The first lap is traditionally taken by cancer survivors in bright yellow T-shirts.
Medos noted that the Relay for Life is always looking for more teams to take part in the event, which happens in June.
