Arbroath's relay special effort is million-pound boost

A community fundraising effort has proved to be one in a million when it comes to supporting cancer research.

Relay For Life participants break out the champagne to celebrate their latest fundraising achievement. Photo by Wallace Ferrier.

The Arbroath branch of Relay For Life confirmed its 2018 total as £73,197 - taking the combined fundraising figure over 12 years to a staggering £1,004,850.

The group toasted its success with a celebration party at Arbroath United Cricket Ground, where they thanked sponsor David Mathieson, of Thorntons.

The annual fundraising festival for Cancer Research UK was first held at Arbroath Cricket Club in 2007, raising almost £28,000.

Arbroath has now joined the elite band of relays across the UK to have broken through the million-pound barrier.

Volunteer event chair Ian Angus said: “This has been a combined effort over the years, with each set of relayers building on the work of previous years and the class of 2018 have been phenomenal. The atmosphere throughout the day was tremendous and even the inclement weather through the night couldn’t dampen their spirits.

“We couldn’t have done it without the fantastic support from Arbroath Cricket Club, our main sponsors, Thorntons, numerous local businesses and voluntary organisations as well as the extremely generous public in this area.

“Relay is very much a community effort and the support we receive across the board is a reflection of how much cancer has affected our community. Having visited several CRUK labs, I know the money is being well spent and it is making a real difference.

“However, cancer never sleeps, so today we celebrate. Tomorrow the committee will start to focus on next year. Planning will begin soon for the relay event on September 21, 2019. “I know that some teams are planning their fundraisers for next year. With that sort of dedication, we will beat cancer sooner.”