The Relay for Life

The Relay For Life is a life-changing event orginally begun in 1986 by the American Cancer Society.

The Relay gives communities across the globe a chance to fight back against cancer, celebrate those battling it, and remember loved ones who have succumbed to it.

Teams participating in Relay for Life events take turns walking or running around a track for a period of 24 hours, and because cancer never sleeps, each team keeps at least one participant on the track at all times.

Relay for Life events are now held in more than 21 countries including Luxembourg.

The IT Crowd

The IT Crowd is a relay team first formed in 2012 to participate in the Relais Pour la Vie organised each year by the Luxembourg Fondation Cancer.

The team is named after that well-known British fly-on-the-wall reality TV documentary programme The IT Crowd. As the name implies, the majority but not the whole of the original members were in the IT business. However, the team has no specific professional, national or organisational affiliation, and aims to keep it that way.

In 2012, 40+ people ran for the IT Crowd team, in 2013 more than 70, in 2014 more than 90, and in 2015, 2016 and 2017 more than 100.

In 2017, in the context of the Trophées de l'Espoir, the IT Crowd won the Trophy in its category, having raised €4801.33 for the Luxembourg Cancer Foundation.

The Luxembourg Relay

The 2018 Luxembourg event is taking place at the Coque Sports Centre over the weekend of 24/25 March.

More than 300 teams were entered for the 2017 relay. The official video gives a good sense of the fun, scale and energy of the event.

The relay site itself is at http://www.relaispourlavie.lu/

Relay Teams

Relay teams comprise 25-40 members. Teams in the Luxembourg Relay are of two types. Master Teams maintain the relay for the full 24 hour period, generally from 20:00 on the Saturday of the event until 20:00 on the Sunday. Classic Teams are on the track for just 12 hours, generally from 08:00 to 20:00 on the Sunday of the event.

As in 2017, The IT Crowd aims to enter three Master teams and one Classic team in the 2018 Relay. Given the rule that only one team member is allowed on the track at any one time, the registration of a number of teams will allow family members and friends to go round the track together.

Les 'Trophées de l'Espoir'

All teams particpating in the Relay also participate in the 'Trophées de l'Espoir', fund-raising effort for the Cancer Foundation.

The IT Crowd typically raises around 5000 EUR through subscriptions, the organisation of a raclette, the sale of our Magnificent Quality Designer Commemorative T-shirts and mugs, a cake sale, and sonce 2017 a highly successful Ceilidh. We aim to continue and extend these efforts in 2017.

Anyone may contribute to this effort by visiting our Shop or Donate pages. Any other offers, suggestions and initiatives are entirely welcome.

Programme Highlights

The following is indicative, based on previous events. More up to date information will be provided when the programme is finalised.

Saturday 19:00 - Opening Ceremony

Open to all, with the great and good of the Grand Duchy.

Saturday 19:15 - Patient Experiences

By current and former cancer patients.

Saturday 19:30 - Survivor and Caregiver Parade

Patients and survivors. Not a dry eye in the house.

Saturday 19:45 - Opening parade

A parade of all the teams.

Saturday 20:00 - Relay

The relay proper begins for Master Teams.

Sunday 17:00 - Candle Ceremony

A moving minute of silence for current patients or those who have lost the fight. Participants and attendees are encouraged to place a candle on the track in memory or support of a loved one.

Sunday 20:00 - Closing parade

A grand parade of all the teams concludes the event.

Other activities

The Grand Duchess, as President of the Fondation Cancer, or another prominent member of the royal family generally attends the Opening Ceremony.

Sandwiches, pasta, beer, and wine are available on site throughout the period of the relay.

There are activities for children, static bicycles to pedal (those grasping bandits at Enovos will donate 1 euro per kilometer pedaled to the Cancer Foundation), music (requests taken!), handprints, memory candles to buy, life boxes to present and look at, and a Giant Colon you can visit, if you don't have the impression of being inside one already.