www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver, Friday June 6, 2008 - 3 Receive a $50 gas card 1 When you open a chequing or savings account TM using EasySwitch, or set up Direct Deposit Visit one of our 12 convenient locations in Oakville for details. BARRIE ERSKINE / OAKVILLE BEAVER FILE PHOTO For the branch nearest you, go to www.tdcanadatrust.com or call 1-866-222-3456 CELEBRATE, REMEMBER, FIGHT BACK: The annual Relay for Life to benefit the Canadian Cancer Society, Oakville Unit is tonight at Appleby College. Hundreds of local residents are expected to participate. Oakville ready to Relay By Angela Blackburn OAKVLLE BEAVER STAFF The calendar has rolled around and it is time to circle the track at Appleby College again -- in Relay for Life 2008. The signature fundraiser for the Canadian Cancer Society, Oakville Unit is ready to roll tonight. It will officially get under way at 7 p.m. or shortly after. Shortly before then, teams will arrive at the grounds of the private school on the Lake Ontario shoreline -- ready to set up camp, relay around the track all night, shed a tear, share moments of strength and raise funds to fight against cancer and research a cure. Gearing up for its seventh year, the 2008 Oakville event is expected to be one of the largest to date. Relay For Life is an overnight, non-competitive relay that will see participants walk, run or stroll around the track at Appleby College from 7 p.m. tonight to 7 a.m. tomorrow. Last year the event raised more than $533,000 for cancer research and support services in the community -- in just twelve hours. The relay is done in teams and more than 155 teams have registered, more than 115 survivors registered and more than 800 luminaries have been sold. Groups of 10 people, friends, family members or co-workers, form Relay For Life teams. The teams often choose names and themes. Some dedicate their Relay to a loved one. For example, Team Shaynanigans relays for two-time cancer survivor Shayna McDonald. Other teams, like 2007's Elvis Lives, did an off-the-wall Elvis theme where all 10 team members dressed up like Elvis all through the years. Prizes are awarded for the most creative teams. As a participant in Relay For Life, each team is encouraged to raise a minimum of $100 per person or $1,000 per team. Participants are given tips and tools by the Canadian Cancer Society to help ensure they meet fundraising goals. In recent years, many participants have taken advantage of online fundraising, which allows participants to reach family and friends worldwide and even create a personalized web page with stories, photos and the reasons why they relay. This year teams have been encouraged to shoot for Dream Team status by raising a minimum of $300 per team member, a minimum of $3,000 per team and selling a minimum of three luminaries per team member before the end of May. This year there are 18 Dream Teams in Oakville. They'll get special team recognition tonight and the top three will earn the chance to chill at the relay's radio media sponsor, Wave 94.7 FM Late Night Chillin' With the Wave patio. The top three fundraising teams are TD Canada Trust Oakville Main, Team Alex, and Canadian Dream Walkers. The Oakville Relay for Life has, since its inception in 2001, raised more than $2.8 million. The event offers main stage entertainment, shopping, food services and camaraderie. It is kicked off with a Survivors' Reception -- at 5 p.m. and Gay Longo of Longo's, an event sponsor, looks after the catering and is also a cancer survivor. The reception is followed by a Survivors' Victory Lap, which see s cancer survivors walk the first lap of the relay at 7 p.m. or shortly after. Survivors are called to the track by how many years they have lived after being diagnosed with cancer. As night fall, luminaries in memory or support of people, are lit and circle the track lending a glow of hope to the fundraiser. Entertainment on the main stage runs from 5 p.m. until midnight. Chapel performances run from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. A large bouncy castle will highlight an entertainment midway for kids. Dinner will be served through the evening in the dining hall. This year the event is cochaired by Don Adams from Appleby College and seasoned relay volunteer Lorelei Jenkins. This year's relay event aims to "Celebrate, remember, fight back," -- and raise $560,000 to make cancer history. The event sponsor for this year's relay is the Scotiabank Group and since the relay's inception, Scotiabank employees have raised more than $67,000. Since cancer never sleeps, neither do the hundreds of residents who circle the track all night. However, memory of the event is of an upbeat, good time because the teams dress up, enjoy entertainment and have fun, making the event a celebration of the human spirit and its fight against cancer. For information visit www.cancer.ca/relay or call 905845-5231. Offer expires Saturday, June 14, 2008. Offer is available at participating Oakville TD Canada Trust branches only, and cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer. Offer may be changed, extended or withdrawn at any time without notice. Some conditions apply. Please note: with payment of an additional $0.01, customers receive a participating gas station gas card. TM Trade-mark of The Canada Trust Company. 1 DATE: CANLAN ICE SPORTS OAKVILLE WWW.ALEXCORRANCEMEMORIALFUND.COM