Hard work pays off for Moira
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Ready. Set. Walk.
These words spelled out large on a banner carried by survivors of cancer around the Moira Secondary School track on Friday marked the beginning of the school’s Relay For Life event.
The event, which is a fundraiser for the Canadian Cancer Society, sees teams of participants walk around the school track — their first step at noon and their last step at the stroke of midnight.
Throughout the day and into the evening students participated in a variety of activities including slip and slides, face painting, water balloon fights, a colour run, watermelon eating contest and various sports activities.
While students are participating in these activities at least one member of each team must always be walking the track.
“There’s lots going on today,” said Jay Patel, a student co-organizer of the event.
Patel, along with co-organizer Jennifer Cooke, have put numerous hours in planning out the day’s events.
“There’s been a lot of hard work,” said Patel.
“And after school time, and spare time, and classroom visits,” added Cooke with a laugh.
That hard work paid off, said Patel.
“It all came together in the end and it’s actually looking a lot better than we thought it would.”
“People seemed really hyped about all the activities,” said Cooke. “It’s a lot of fun. And it really builds school community as well.”
Kyion Nicholson, a special education student at Moira, was one of many students enjoying the day, laughing gleefully as he drenched other students — and was in turn drenched, — during a water.
Nicholson, who had raised $584 — one of the highest individual amounts — described his experience at Relay with two words before rushing back into the fray.
“It’s fun.”
Approximately 150 Moira students took part in the event, along with several Grade 7 and 8 students in the Destinations program.
All told $13,738.22 was raised for the Canadian Cancer Society.
“We’re just getting the message about fighting cancer out to the community and what better place to start than your own school,” said Patel.
“This is probably one of the greatest experiences I’ve had in high school.”
tjmiller@postmedia.com