An Angus community’s generous spirit has been applauded as preparations continue for a cancer-beating event.
Preparations for this year’s Kirriemuir Relay For Life are shaping up and the town’s efforts in the biennial event have been congratulated by charity Cancer Research UK.
The charity’s volunteer manager for Kirriemuir, Christina Keith, said: “We’re really excited about Relay For Life in Kirriemuir, which raised an impressive £44,000 for cancer research when it was last held in 2011.
“Relay is such a great way to spend time with your friends, family and colleagues in a celebration of life and we hope the people of Angus will get behind us and once again raise as much money as possible to beat cancer.”
Organiser Rhona Guild said a meeting this month, disco next month and a new recycling scheme are helping build up to a great event.
Mrs Guild (46) said: Even though there is obviously a lot of fundraising going on around the run, it’s for anyone in the community who feels strongly about the fight against cancer, or have lost someone dear to it. They don’t have to raise money to participate.
“A lot of people have signed up verbally or formally registered and it looks like this year’s going to be a great, great event.”
The Kirriemuir relay will be run on August 10 and 11, alongside events in Arbroath, Blairgowrie, Dundee, and Dalgety Bay.
A recycling firm is now giving the fundraising effort money for each item given to committee members or put in collection boxes.
“The recycling company which is collecting these items is giving Relay for Life Kirriemuir 50% of the recycling value for all mobile phones, £1 for eachoriginal empty inkjet cartridge and up to £5 per empty laser/toner cartridge,” said Mrs Guild.
Collection boxes are now in Paul’s Hairdressers and Thrums Vets.
An over-18s disco with live music from Sonnet 65 will be held in the town hall on March 9, with tickets costing £10.
“The disco is one of the highlights of the pre-Relay For Life preparations but, as with the Relay for Life Kirriemuir, it’s very much a community event,” Mrs Guild added.
Visit cancerresearchuk.org/relay for information.