Hundreds of people who have been touched by cancer came out for the 12th annual Relay for Life last night.

Survivors were joined by their families, caretakers and supportive sponsors to carry out the first portions of the annual two-day event at the National Sports Centre in Devonshire.

The walk celebrates those who have fought off the disease and honours those who have died from it.

Chris Foster, the chief executive of the Bermuda Cancer and Health Centre, said the event had grown into a warm celebration of the fight against the disease.

He said: “Cancer is a challenging and horrible disease. At times it feels like there’s no escape from it’s impact.

“The combined mission of Relay for Life and the Bermuda Cancer and Health Centre are for everyone in Bermuda to have equal access to the highest standard of cancer care.”

He added: “This event, this moment, all of your contributions to it empower us to be able to deliver that higher standard of care for all.

“As Bermuda’s cancer challenge continues to grow, so does our fight back against cancer.

“This event, this moment is the embodiment of Bermuda’s fight back.”

Juliana Swan, 69, said she had been doing the Relay for Life every single year after surviving breast cancer 17 year ago.

She said that both her parents had battled against cancer — her mother had breast cancer and her father colon cancer — but both succumbed to the disease.

She added that she took part in the race every year to return the “support and encouragement” to others.

Ms Swan said: “It just feels wonderful.”

Ms Swan said that she always tried to offer support for those fighting cancer, even travelling with a woman she did not know well because she had no one else to support her.

She added that although the trip used all her holiday days, her employer allowed her to keep them after discovering why she left.

Ms Swan said this support was a testament to how people in Bermuda helped one another through cancer.

She also advised people to get themselves checked and to stick to the mantra “positive thoughts give positive results”.

Juliana Snelling, 58, said that she came out in support of her son, Jude, who survived blood cancer as a baby.

She said that she had done the Relay for Life for six years in a row as a show of appreciation now that her son had survived to his 22nd birthday.

Ms Snelling added: “I give thanks each and every day of my life for my healthy son and for others around me who have survived, hundreds of whom are here tonight.”

Ms Snelling said that her mother had died of skin cancer and that she herself battled melanoma twice.

She added that, thanks to the millions of dollars donated by sponsors and others, many were able to “keep the fight going”.

Sam Cabot, a friend of Ms Snelling, said that he invited her to join him for his first time at the Relay for Life.

The 27-year-old explained that he attended through work and invited Ms Snelling as a plus one so she could enter free of charge.

He added: “It was more fun than I expected. It has a lot more lively of an atmosphere here.”

The 27-year-old, who returned to the island in December after ten years in England, said that he was surprised to see so many sponsors involved.

He said: “I always knew that Bermudians were very generous, but I didn’t know that this many companies did these kinds of initiatives.”

The full amount of donations is expected to be announced this afternoon during the second leg of the Relay for Life.

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