The planning committee for the South Country Relay for Life would like to thank the community of Rockglen for hosting this year's Relay. The support we received from the Mayor and Council, town maintenance crew, business people, school staff and residents of the Rockglen area helped to create a successful fundraiser. Together, teams and businesses from Gravelbourg, Willow Bunch, Assiniboia, Coronach, Fife Lake and Rockglen raised in excess of $51,240 to support the work of the Saskatchewan Division of the Canadian Cancer Society. Ninety-seven cents of each of those dollars will stay in the province and work for us.

Although all 226 kinds of cancer have not yet been conquered, years of quality research sponsored by the CCS have produced many benefits for people living with cancer. Most cancer surgery is now faster and less invasive. The drugs used in chemotherapy have been fine-tuned both with respect to kind and dosages. There are fewer side effects and those that remain are more manageable and less debilitating. Radiation techniques have improved. They are more focused and do less damage to the healthy tissue surrounding a cancer site. 

As a result of our fundraising efforts, people in even the smallest communities in the country are able to take advantage of this research. In addition, the Canadian Cancer Society is educating all of us about ways to prevent cancer. It lobbies our legislators to enact laws to protect people from cancers caused by things such as tobacco and asbestos. It supports healthy living practices including the avoidance of over-exposure to ultraviolet light and the banning of cosmetically used herbicides and pesticides.