Teams set off on ‘Relay For life’
THE Relay For Life kicked off today with hundreds of people taking part in the non-stop, 21-hour relay walk.
The event, in its fourth year, sees 40 teams take on a circular track at Ickworth Park - finishing tomorrow morning at 9am.
The teams - with a variety of zany names like the Hairy Nosed Wombats, the Sticky Plasters, the Boombastics and the Parrots of the Caribbean - have all raised money for Cancer Research UK.
The race began at 12.30pm with a lap of honour for cancer survivors led by the Stowmarket Concert Band.
The teams have to continuously walk around the track but can tag in a team mate to take over whenever they want.
Relay Chairman Lorraine Cockerton said: “The people in the teams raise money prior to today, so this day is more like a celebration of their hard work.
“It gives people an opportunity to do something together - it will be together that we will make a difference to beat cancer.”
There will be non-stop entertainment throughout the evening an night including bands, themed laps and a special Candle of Hope ceremony at 9.30pm where 1,000 candle bags will be lit around the track.
Taking part in the relay, Lisa Odey, 31, from Thetford, said: “I had breast cancer in 2009, I was only 29 when I was diagnosed.
“I was the first in my family to have it so it was a huge shock.
“I had two operations, four months of chemotherapy and three and a half weeks of radiotherapy.
“A lot of my friends on my team are the people who helped me get through it.
“This is the first time I have done this - I am blown away by the event.
“It is great to raise money for the charity to help find a cure to stop people suffering.”
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Weather for Bury St Edmunds
Tuesday 18 June 2013
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 14 C to 22 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: South east
Tomorrow
Thunderstorm
Temperature: 13 C to 25 C
Wind Speed: 14 mph
Wind direction: North
