More than 430 people gathered at the National Sports Centre last weekend to take part in the Celton Manx, Cancer Research UK Relay For Life. The event kicked off at noon with a VIP reception for cancer survivors and invited guests before the first lap of the relay was led off by Bill Mummery of Celton Manx and His Worship The Mayor of Douglas, Ritchie McNicholl. It was then up to the intrepid teams to keep one member on the track at all times for the next 24 hours! Throughout the relay the teams’ spirits were kept up by the many supporters in attendance and entertainment organised by media partners 3FM. Special fancy dress and activity laps were also included to keep the teams on their toes! Twenty-nine teams took part, including large groups from local charities Samaritans and Dot’s Dream Foundation, a new charity set-up in memory of Mrs Dot Pitts, a former Mayor of Douglas who passed away last year. The only time during the 24 hours when the track was empty was for the Candle of Hope Ceremony. At dusk, candles were lit and placed inside Candle of Hope bags, decorated in dedication to a cancer survivor or a loved one lost to cancer. Executive Director of Celton Manx, Bill Mummery, was in attendance for the ceremony. He said: ‘The Candle of Hope Ceremony was very moving, all of the teams came to a stop surrounded by more than 400 lanterns to pay tribute to those who have been affected by cancer. ‘In the first Relay For Life last year, more than ?44,000 was raised for Cancer Research UK and all of the money raised here will be donated to research centres in Liverpool where the majority of Manx cancer sufferers are cared for. Celton Manx is dedicated to supporting causes which directly benefit the community in which we operate and the team spirit and generosity I witnessed on Saturday clearly demonstrates our Island’s community strength.’ Chairman of Isle of Man Relay For Life Gaynor Haxby said: ‘We were absolutely delighted to have Celton Manx on board as main sponsor for this year’s relay. Its support means that all of the money raised for the event will directly benefit Cancer Research UK centres in Liverpool. I am pleased to announce that so far more than ?21,500 has been donated which we hope will be built on over the coming weeks. The event was a huge success and I would like to thank everyone who took part, supported and volunteered to help on the day.’ The event was also attended by Amro Ebbiary, a research scientist with Cancer Research UK based in Liverpool, who explained how events like Relay For Life provide the majority of funding for their research. He also spoke about new cancer drugs and their on-going trials. ENDS