By Asiphesona Wonqwelo
‘You will never walk alone’ was the theme for 3 August 2024, the Night for the Step Up to
Conquer Cancer campaign at Steve Biko Lawns.
Cancer South Africa organised the campaign with the help of Sister Heather Ferreira and her team, Lunga Jadi, Yoshni Jattiem, Alayne Hails and Marlene Jacobs. The campaign was a relay for life that supported cancer survivors, as well as people that have passed on due to cancer.
“We have cancer survivors in Makhanda, their lives were never celebrated,” said Ferreira.
She added that a local woman diagnosed with cancer in 1999 was celebrated at the event, for the first time as a survivor. “So this was very special for our survivors,” Ferreira said.
The Relay for Life campaign has three events – the first is the Survivor
Ceremony, where the Victoria Girls High School Choir, the Makanda Kwantu Acapella Choir
and Naledi Hospice performed. Makana mayor Yandiswa Vara delivered the welcoming
speech. The opening ceremony followed the event, where the Relay of Life Oath is recited.
The last event of the campaign was the Luminaria Ceremony. During this event everyone
took part in funky dance for different age groups, aerobics, and Jerusalema challenge and
ended with the pyjama lap.
People were part of the campaign by being in teams of 10, paying R500 and individuals paid R60 at the gate. Everyone got prizes, with the survivors getting candles engraved ‘survivor’ on them and a Spur voucher.
Everyone present lit candles and placed them inside a white bag, which they decorated to their
liking, during this ceremony.
The lit candles and bags were placed in a circle on the Great Field, casting a low glow. The survivors were the first ones to walk around the candle circle, followed by their caregivers and lastly, everyone else.
It was a show of support to the survivors and paying gratitude to their caregivers.
“You are walking until you are tired, until you can’t anymore, in support of a cancer patient. It’s not just that they got cancer in the morning. You must feel what that person feels like. You are walking until you feel the pain, you feel how the cancer patient feels,” said Alayne Hails.
