The annual Cansa Relay for Life Helderberg was once again a powerful display of community solidarity, with 43 teams uniting for the overnight walk held at Hendrik Louw Primary School in Strand on Saturday 11 October.
The event, filled with emotional tributes and fierce team spirit, has propelled the local fundraising efforts to the halfway point of the R100 000 target.
The day began with the moving tradition of the first laps led by those at the heart of the battle. “The survivors opened our relay with the first lap, followed by the caregivers,” said event organiser Lucille Kruger, highlighting the central purpose of the gathering.
A special moment came with the third lap, which was dedicated to the community of Hendrik Louw Primary.
This honour lap, to the mournful skirls of Scottish bagpipes, paid tribute to past and present learners and teachers, celebrating those who have won their fight, remembering those lost as well as supporting the teacher and learner currently undergoing treatment.
Teams were committed to walking the track throughout the night until 06:00 on Sunday 12 October. “Even though the wind came up, teams still carried on walking,” Kruger noted, underscoring the community’s resolve.
The emotion peaked during the Luminaria, a period of quiet reflection and remembrance. “We were very honoured to have Nina Wasserfall singing ‘Angels in Disguise’ at our Luminaria,” Kruger added.
The event celebrated excellence in both fundraising and spirit. Octosquad was recognised for their remarkable contribution, receiving the trophy for raising the most funds during the 2024 Relay at the opening of this year’s event.
At the closing ceremony the focus shifted to team awards, voted on by the participants themselves:
• Best Plot: Team Hope;
• Best Team Spirit: Hope Hustlers;
• Best Cancer Awareness: Team Hannah; and
• Team that participated in the most activity: A Tigger-ific Team.
The collective effort has translated into significant financial progress. “Our target is to raise R100 000, and we are already halfway,” said Kruger. “There are still funds to come through. Cansa Relay For Life Helderberg has until the end of March 2026 to reach this target.”
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