Hope from yaad: Relay For Life goes virtual for 2021

The Jamaica Cancer Society’s (JCS) premier fundraising and awareness event – Relay For Life – is going virtual this year under the theme: ‘Hope From Yaad’.

With the staging of Relay For Life not possible in its traditional format because of the COVID-19 pandemic with the physical/social distancing protocols and other measures put in place to help curb the spread of the disease, the JCS has taken the decision to host a virtual event on July 31.

Relay For Life Chairman Marie Powell said that rather than cancelling the much-anticipated annual event to which Jamaicans have grown accustomed over the last 19 years, Relay For Life 2021 will be virtual and we are looking to an interesting, fun-filled and highly participatory virtual Relay For Life on July 31, 2021 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

“Cancer survivors and supporters of the Jamaica Cancer Society and Relay For Life – both here in Jamaica and abroad – will have the opportunity to come together and ‘relay at home’ and thus continue the focus on celebrating survivorship, remembering those who have lost the fight and take action, through participation in the virtual event,” Powell said.

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“We are inviting individuals, families, churches, corporate Jamaica, the diaspora and everyone else to share with us on this first staging of a virtual Relay For Life event in the English-speaking Caribbean.” “There is no limit to the number of persons who can view the virtual event and all are being asked to give a donation.” Donations can be made through the virtual platform or by visiting the Jamaica Cancer Society website, JCS.Live or www.jamaicacancersociety.org.

The virtual relay will also showcase the traditional aspects Relay For Life, including the opening ceremony, luminaria ceremony, a discussion segment on COVID-19 and cancer. There will be a strong line-up of performances in the purple party with some of the country’s leading artistes, such as the legendary songstress Pam Hall, and the lyrical phenomenon and global superstar Shaggy.

The JCS Virtual Relay For Life will be streamed live on Facebook, YouTube, ZOOM, Instagram and the JCS website. During the virtual event, viewers will have the opportunity to participate in the fundraising aspect of Relay For Life by purchasing luminaria bags in honour of a cancer survivor or in memory of a loved one. Luminaria bags can be purchased at the JCS, 16 Lady Musgrave, Road Kingston 5, or on their website at www.jamaicacancersociety.org or JCS.Live.

In 2019, Relay For Life raised some $12 million which was used to support the screening, testing, counselling, public education and advocacy work of the JCS.