2- The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday June 6, 2007 www.oakvillebeaver.com Oakville Relay for Life total will surpass $485,000 Continued from page 1 "It's one way you feel you can do something," said Joan Cooke, a member of Appleby College Grade 12 student Braden Hanna's The Colborne Team. Named after Hanna's downtown Oakville workplace, it was a Dream Team top-five fundraiser in the sixth annual event that raised $485,000 (and climbing) for the Canadian Cancer Society, Oakville Unit. Over its first five years, the Oakville Unit has raised more than $2.3 million toward cancer research Inside Living...............................11 Automotive ....................17 Artscene..........................21 Sports..............................24 Classifieds.......................28 Full Delivery: The Bay, Rona, Mark's Work Warehouse Partial Delivery: Sport Mart, City Parent, Oakville Dodge, Toppers Pizza, California Spa, Bouclair, Staples, Chatters, Home Depot, Black's, The Shoe Company, Arm & Hammer, The Source by Circuit City, Ethan Allen, Henry's DELIVERY For home delivery & customer service call 905-845-9742 Mon., Tues., & Thurs. 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m., Wed. & Fri. 8:30 a.m. - 7 p.m. or Saturday 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. For new subscriptions, call 905-845-9742 or subscribe online @ www.oakvillebeaver.com and is now climbing toward the $3 million mark after Friday's event. Admittedly a very emotional event, it remained upbeat as people turned sorrow, anger and frustration to positive, resolute action. A Main Stage and Chapel offered lively entertainment and prizes were doled out for best dressed, best campsite and more. The top five dream team fundraisers going into the event -- TD Canada Trust-Oakville Main, Happy Feet, The Colborne Team, The Shaynanigans and Team Alex -- got a chance to go Late Night Chillin' on a private patio with The Wave 94.7FM. It was all a backdrop to the 168 teams of 10 people, who spent the night walking around Appleby's track to fulfill the pledges friends and families had made in sponsoring them in the all-night relay. "Who doesn't know someone?" asked Phyllis Greer, another member of The Colborne Team. The stories were plentiful -- too many to be recounted -- yet each person knew their story or that of a loved one or friend -- the reason they were there. Nearly 1,700 people participated in the all-night relay that officially began at 7 p.m. -- and many more were there to watch, lend moral support or manage some aspect of the event. Team members began arriving around 5 p.m. DEREK WOOLLAM / SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER INSPIRATIONAL: The crowd cheers on the participants in the Survivors' Victory Lap. Some decorated their tent sites. Some wore themed costumes. They grabbed some dinner. It was all part of the fun. Last year's Blushing Brides team was decked out as Elvis this year. Their campsite welcomed visitors to Graceland and under the captaincy of Monique Wood, the team picked up the Best Dressed Team Award for the second year. A team dressed as M*A*S*H* characters circled the relay track toting a stretcher and a sign that read "Let's MASH cancer." It picked up Best Team Spirit Award. Another team's members were dressed as pirates and had a campsite where a large sign read "Let's make cancer walk the plank." There were Liz' Bosom Buddies, the Fighting Irish, the Shaynanigans, Circle of Friends, Mamas in Pyjamas, Cregan's Court, Penske Pacers, Shamrock 2, Happy Feet, Sid's Kids, Vegas Babes and more. The Blues Sisters, led by breast cancer survivor Carol Di Bon, was an entire team made up of cancer survivors, who dressed up in the style of the famous Blues Brothers flick. "Six years ago we didn't know this event would grow this large," said event co-chair Steve Poplar, of Appleby. Co-chair Barb Ambrosie said the 2007 relay was in honour of the caregivers, who help survivors along their journey. "We all know how tough a journey it is," she said. Joan Gibb, volunteer president of the Oakville Unit, welcomed everyone and tipped her hat to the Oakville Trafalgar High School team that organized its own Relay for Life event the Friday before -- raising a whopping $90,000. Watching the Survivors' Victory Lap gives us hope, courage and inspiration that cancer can be beaten, said organizers as the relay kicked off. Cancer survivor and Survivors' Victory Lap co-ordinator Paul Taylor read aloud the names of survivors as they walked the track. Taylor then read what he dubbed "The Tough Old Birds" list of survivors noting how long they'd been cancer-free -- it ranged from 10 years to 38 years. It included Sneezy the Clown, who was on hand to entertain kids and Gay Longo, the wife of Anthony Longo, president and CEO of Longo's, co-chairs of last year's relay. Around the Appleby track hundreds of luminaries in small white bags were lined. At dusk, the luminaries were lit and the sheer number of those remembered through them See Every page 3 Our Best Sale Doctor's appointments arranged VISIT OUR EXPERTS TO REVIEW HUNDREDS OF OPTIONS FOR YOU! Incredible deals on lined & no-line bifocals EVER! G Canadian Sound is Oakville's exclusive dealer of Sony BRAVIA XBR3. 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