HOPE is a big theme in this edition.
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It was on display at the Relay For Life, an event that has drawn the community together for 10 years in the common cause of fighting cancer. Even though the weather was unkind and forced the relay to be moved and shortened, the determination of organisers to go ahead mirrored the core spirit of the event: never give up.
Hope is also reflected in the story about Sally Jones, who wasn’t about to let multiple sclerosis get the better of her mind and positive outlook, even if it did assault her body.
Her attitude should inspire all who read her story. To stave off depression as the degenerative disease took hold, she has engaged her mind in an array of studies at which she has excelled. While she inspires others, she looks to her mother for her own inspiration.
Sally’s approach is known to work with cancer sufferers as well. In our years reporting on the Relay For Life, one message has been constant: being positive will help sufferers on what is a confronting journey.
That message is what makes the Relay For Life such a compelling gathering that builds on itself each year. There is a palpable determination to defeat cancer by raising funds that go towards research. In the 10 years the relay has been running, survival rates for many cancers have increased, awareness has grown and what used to be a sense of hopelessness – of cancer being an automatic death sentence – has been dealt a major blow.
That, surely, is half the battle won.