Relay for Life hits its stride and raises over $70,000

This year’s Relay for Life event has now crossed the finish line and Kingston General Hospital certainly has some big reasons to celebrate.

Fourteen KGH teams took part on June 6 in the overnight fundraising event run by the Canadian Cancer Society with support from KGH and the University Hospitals Kingston Foundation (UHFK). Together, these teams raised a record amount for our hospital, just over $70,000.

“This number represents huge effort, commitment and belief in putting our time and energy back to cancer care at KGH,” says Brenda Carter, VP and Regional Vice President Cancer Services. “It’s a tremendous accomplishment and everyone who participated in a KGH team deserves a heartfelt congratulations and applause.”

The Relay for Life event has been picking up momentum at KGH over the past few years. Last June, 11 KGH teams raised just over $25,000 to purchase chairs that can be converted into overnight beds for family members of cancer patients. This year, the funds are being dedicated to help set up a new dermatology clinic at the Cancer Centre of Southeastern Ontario at KGH.

“We’ve all been touched by cancer whether it’s a loved one, a friend or ourselves. Therefore we know why it’s important to all do our part to make a difference to the care we provide by supporting the Relay for Life,” says Carter.

As for the event’s biggest fundraisers, this time around the UHKF team topped the list for the entire relay in Kingston. The “UHKF – Ultimate Heroic Kancer Fighters” brought in $19,221. Next on the list was “KGH Medicine Rocks!” with $7,781, the KGH-affiliated “The R-Choppers” were fourth with $6,606 and the “KCCU Advantage” raised $6,076.