Its success was due in no small way to the organisational skills of local woman, mother-of-three Lisa Kirkwood who, like each and every one of us, sadly knew someone who had been touched by cancer and decided to take fund raising action.

Buoyed by the total amounted last June, Lisa quickly set her sights, as chair of the Ballymena Relay For Life Committee, on repeating the event, setting the wheels in motion to stage another in June, 2008.
On March 3 of this year, however, she found a lump in her left breast and in a cruel twist of fate was, after scans and a biopsy, diagnosed with the disease herself on April 7.

Surgery followed on May 23 when it was discovered that the cancer had spread to Lisa's lymph glands and now she faces six sessions of chemotherapy over 15 weeks starting on June 25.

Despite that harrowing series of events and in the true spirit of Relay for Life, the Parkhall College teacher is determined to press on with the 24-hour event even though she will still be undergoing chemo at the time it will be staged, on August 30-31, at Michelin Athletic Club on the Woodside Road.

"It's supposed, after all, to be an annual event," said Lisa, "so I'm going to do it.

"'Anyone' can get involved in Relay for Life simply by getting a team together and they can be all-female, all-male or mixed, although we have quite a few of what we call 'survivors' of cancer - anyone who has been diagnosed - taking part which is wonderful," said Lisa.

"It's them who give people like me hope and the whole purpose of the Relay is 'hope and care'".
Originally from the Demesne Estate in Ballymena, now living in Tullygarley, with husband, Paul, and children Kyle (11), Luke (8) and Abby (3), the 32-year-old says she got involved in the UK-wide fund raising event "by accident" while working for Ballymena Borough Council as a Water Quality Inspector some years ago.

"An e-mail was sent to us from Cancer Research asking people to take part in a team adventure challenge involving cycling, running and canoeing," said Lisa.

"Basically, it just went on from that - first to an abseil down the BT building, then I organised a number of small charity events locally and then I was asked to be the captain of a team taking part in Relay for Life in Belfast".

In October, 2006, Lisa accepted an invitation from Cancer Research's Area Volunteer Manager to become chairperson of a Relay for Life Committee in Ballymena and the following year, the Relay was born in the borough with the event taking place at the Rugby Club.

Eleven teams totalling 150 people took part and with six already signed up for August, this year, Lisa is confident that 2008 will attract even more and she's keen to hear from potential participants - groups of friends, families or co-workers in banks, building societies, factories, hospitals, shops and businesses.
"It's not a sponsored event," said Lisa.

"All the fund raising is carried out beforehand which means its all fun on the day," she said.
"Teams pitch tents on the Saturday morning for the 24-hours ahead and their members take it in relay to walk, or run if they're fit enough, around the pitch for the 24 hours.

"Throughout the day there will be activities to keep the teams entertained such as a 'best dressed tent competition', 'Stars in their Eyes' contest and giant jenga.

"There's also a breakfast and barbecue and the 'Candle of Hope' on the Saturday evening which involves the dedication of candles to loved ones who have passed away and to celebrate those that are still amongst us," said Lisa.

That touching ceremony will once again be co-ordinated by local Relay for Life committee members, Edith and Anita (staff of the Seven Towers Leisure Centre), while Lisa is also supported on the committee and in the organisation of the August event by Clare Caulfield (vice-chair), Joanne Galloway (treasurer), and her husband Paul (logistics officer).
"The relay runs for 24 hours to reflect the fact that cancer doesn't sleep," said Lisa.

"And we have found that keeping going from 10am on a Saturday to 10am on a Sunday doesn't put people off. - In fact most find that having done it once, they want to get involved again.

"For me, this time, I know that for the next six months I won't maybe be able to live my life, my way but this is something I can do, I can control and I can enjoy," she said.

If YOU would like to find out more about Relay for Life, to help with its organisation or to put forward a team, just call Lisa on 07818298456 or email her to lisa_ballymenarelayforlife@hotmail.co.uk She'd be delighted to hear from you.