EORTC staff participate in Relay for Life in Brussels

Led by Edwin Nys, Data Manager at EORTC Headquarters, a team of 30 EORTC staff members took turns running or walking around the track for the benefit of cancer patients. Edwin, emblematic of the dedication of all EORTC Headquarters staff, resolutely participated for the entire 24 hours of the relay. In all, eighteen teams participated in this year’s Relay For Life event held at Tour & Taxis in Brussels on 27/28 August 2011, and the participating teams collected over €25000  for the fight against cancer.

This year’s Relay For Life in Brussels began with an introduction of a cohort of cancer survivors, who then took to the track under the applause of all present. Each team was then introduced, and they, too, took to the track. For 24 hours, each team kept a member on the track to perpetuate the Relay For Life, and an assortment of other activities helped create a festive atmosphere.

Relay For Life, a benefit focusing on solidarity and fund raising for the fight against cancer, started back in 1985 when Dr Gordy Klatt, an intestinal surgeon, ran around a track to collect money for the American Cancer Society. Since then, Relay For Life has expanded, and relays are now held in more than 20 countries. This year, supported by the Belgian Foundation against Cancer, Relay For Life was held at three sites in Belgium: Tour & Taxis in Brussels, Complexe Gaston Reiff in Braine-l’Alleud, and Domein Speelhof in Sint-Truiden.

More information about the relay for life can be found on their website.

John Bean