What is Relay For Life? - Relay For Life

Where your money goes

When you donate to the Canadian Cancer Society, you’re helping us support a cancer patient and their family through a life-changing diagnosis — and the pain, worry and fear that comes with it.

Or, your money could help us get one step closer to discovering a research breakthrough that could save millions of lives.

No matter how much you give, every little bit counts. We are so grateful for your support!

Here are just some of the ways that your money is already making a real impact for people with cancer in our communities:

$60

will help researchers study tumour samples, which allows them to identify a person's type of cancer and provide the best possible treatment.

$150

lets 50 people with cancer (or their family and friends) access an online community of other people who’ve been affected by cancer. Talking to someone who understands can help a person cope with their own cancer journey.

$300

covers the cost of the cancer cells needed for one research project, where a scientist can make a ground-breaking discovery.

$2,000

will enable a young researcher to attend an important conference, present their work and meet other researchers in their field. Education and knowledge-sharing are essential to move research forward!

$6,000

allows one cancer patient to participate in a clinical trial, where they can test potentially life-saving new treatments.

$100,000

will fund one year of an Innovation Grant. We award this grant to the most promising cancer researchers in the country, enabling them to do research with cutting-edge technology and test innovative methods to save and improve lives.

"Relay For Life is such an important event. It is a time to remember, to have hope and to fundraise for a better future."

— Laura Belford, post-secondary student and cancer survivor

where-your-money-goes

Laura Belford was only 16 years old when she heard the news that would change her life: she had stage 4 Hodgkin lymphoma, a cancer of the lymphatic system. Then a Grade 11 student, Laura had to take time off school to focus on her treatment: 6 months of chemotherapy, plus radiation and surgery.

Now cancer-free, Laura began participating in Canadian Cancer Society Relay For Life events in 2013. Today, she proudly attends Relay For Life at her school, Queen’s University.

“I love Relay For Life and look forward to it every year,” Laura says. “For me, it is all about fundraising for research. We’ve made so many improvements in the last few decades, but we still have so far to go.”

We've come so far. In the 1940s, the survival rate for Canadians with cancer was about 25% — but today, over 60% of those diagnosed will survive at least 5 years after their diagnosis.

Fundraising events like Relay For Life enable research that can make groundbreaking advances in cancer treatment and save millions of lives. With your help, think of where we will be in the future!

Thanks to dedicated supporters like you, Relay For Life is our largest fundraising event. Help us continue to support Canadians living with all types of cancer and change the future of this disease. Find your school, and sign up for Relay today!

Presenting sponsor

Desjardins