Relay for Life: this weekend with the Brussels international community

Cancer never sleeps, nor does it have international boundaries. Whether back home and abroad, cancer has already probably had an important impact in your life.  At Relay for Life, you can find healing, comfort, and support from others who have faced cancer or who have lost a loved one to the disease.  

Relay for Life is an 24-hour event during which an entire community comes together to join in the fight against cancer. Started back in the 1980’s in the United States, today Relay For Life takes place in more than 6000 communities and 20 countries worldwide and is entirely organized by volunteers.

Equally touched by cancer, Brussels’ international community has also come together to organise the only Relay for Life in Belgium to be in English. This Saturday June 14th, the community is holding its 4th annual Relay For Life at St. John’s International School in Waterloo.

Relay: How it works

Relay for Life is an event where teams take turns (in relay style) walking or running around a track for 24 hours; the 24 hours are symbolic of the battle patients and their families endure in their fight against cancer. Teams are made up of 10-30 people and are often groups of friends, colleagues, family members, club members, etc. who have come together to join in the fight against cancer, committing to raise funds both individually and as a group prior to and during the Relay event.

In 2013, the International Community of Brussels Relay raised over €112,000. All these funds are donated to the Belgian Foundation against Cancer (Fondation Contre le Cancer / Stichting tegen Kanker). The Foundation uses these funds to support its 57 cancer research projects, develop cancer prevention and awareness programs for schools and communities and provide support to cancer patients and their families. This year, the Brussels Relay fundraising goal is to raise over €125,000.

An event for the whole Brussels international community

Last year, over 1200 participants from the Brussels-area international community participated in Belgium’s English-speaking Relay for Life.  This year, Relay’s organisers hope to increase this number. “Fun activities, non-stop live music and entertainment, food and refreshments are on offer throughout, many of which are organised by the teams as part of their fundraising efforts,” explain the Relay for Life organisers. 

Anyone can attend Relay and enjoy the activities, whether they’re on a team or not. “Hundreds of other participants visit the event, walk laps, enjoy the atmosphere and support teams’ fundraising efforts,” say the Relay organisers.

International Community Brussels Relay For Life:

When: Saturday 14 June – Sunday 15 June 2014 from 12 noon to 12 noon.

Where: Drève Richelle 146, 1410 Waterloo.

For more information: Please visit www.relayforlife.be, visit the Relay for Life Brussels Facebook page or email the organizing committee at intl.community@relayforlife.be.

Photos courtesy of RelayforLife.be