The inaugural Daffodil Dash – an event organized to replace the Canadian Cancer Society’s Relay for Life – really needs more local residents to sign up and get involved before Sunday.
Despite the fact that only 14 people had registered to participate in the fundraising event as of last Thursday, organizer Jennifer Dies is confident Osoyoos residents will come through in flying colours to support a great cause.
“There’s still time for the community to rally,” said Dies. “We still have a few days to go and I’m confident the residents of Osoyoos are going to come out and support the event.
“It’s a fun event, it’s a family event and it’s for a very good cause, so hopefully we’ll have a late rally and get a lot of people out on Sunday.”
The Canadian Cancer Society decided several months ago to drop the Relay for Life in Osoyoos after more than 10 years. The Osoyoos Relay For Life event began in 2006 and has raised approximately $400,000 for the fight against cancer.
The number of participants had continued to decline with each passing year over several years and “asking people to commit 12 hours in a small town like Osoyoos just wasn’t working, so we decided to go in a different direction,” said Dies.
April is Daffodil Month for the Canadian Cancer Society, so organizers came up with the concept of replacing the Relay for Life with the Daffodil Dash.
The inaugural Daffodil Dash for Osoyoos will take place Sunday morning at Lions Park.
Registration will begin at 8 a.m., with participants set to begin the 10-kilometre course at 10 a.m. Participants will be asked to walk, run or jog from Lions Park towards Pioneer Walkway and towards Lakeshore Drive.
They will continue to the end of Lakeshore Drive and turn around and follow the same route back towards Lions Park, said Dies.
There are shorter one-kilometre and five-kilometre routes as well.
“Instead of a 12-hour commitment, this should only take a couple of hours, which we feel should attract more participants,” she said. “The Relay for Life had some very successful years in Osoyoos, but our numbers kept dropping and we feel an event that isn’t as time consuming and demanding will be successful.”
All participants will be asked to raise pledges of at least $150 or make a donation to the cancer society, said Dies.
One of the highlights of the Relay for Life event during its duration was the Survivors Lap to kick off the event.
While there won’t be a survivor’s lap in the Daffodil Dash, Dies is confident many cancer survivors will be there on Sunday to participate in this new event.
“Gather your friends, family and co-workers, create a team, dress in yellow and dash your petals off to raise awareness and funds for cancer research and support programs,” she said.
For more, contact Dies at 1-250-253-3559.
KEITH LACEY
Osoyoos Times
