Supporting the Canadian Cancer Society's Relay for Life is very important for Francis Gale.
He is a cancer survivor and the disease has struck in his family six times.
Originally from Coal Brook, South Branch, Mr. Gale has lost three brothers to cancer and he and two other brothers had or have cancer.
In 2000, Mr. Gale had surgery for prostate cancer and appreciates the fact he was able to get treatment in Cleveland, Ohio. Gale was one of a large number of people from this province who were sent to Cleveland for treatment due to a shortage of radiologists at that time.
For him, it was like a positive approach to treatment.
His appreciation for that, and the fact he feels it's important to find a cure for cancer, is why he and his family have been such big supporters of the Relay for Life.
Prior to the first relay in Stephenville eight years ago, Mr. Gale was part of several teams from Stephenville that took part in the Corner Brook Relay and most years his family has been putting a team in the Stephenville event.
This is the second year Mr. Gale has been a relay ambassador and takes pride in that.
This year the Mr. Gale family didn't enter a team as his wife Mary suffered a serious ankle injury during the winter and is just now back on the mend. Some of their teams in the past were The Groupies and The Cave Dwellers.
Be sure to check out the 2011 Relay for Life slideshow. - The link is at the bottom of this story
During those years the Gales had yard sales, with residents donating to it. Mr. Gale even repaired televisions and appliances like washers and dryers to sell in the yard sales.
He and his wife donated their own paintings to sell and they had one donated from artist Lloyd Pretty.
Each year he's proud to take part in the Survivors' Lap and plans to continue supporting the relay as long as he can.
Deb Jones, relay co-chair, praised Mr. Gale and the other ambassador Irene Rose who helped lead them towards a "fantastic night."
A celebrity fire truck ladder climb by Mayor Leona Webb of Stephenville Crossing, Mayor Tom O'Brien of Stephenville and Bob Byrnes, a former councillor, raised $2,300.
That all went towards a total of $71,166.39, up from last year's $57,975.68. The relay saw an increase in teams from 24 last year to 26 this year. There were 118 survivors take part this year in comparison to 96 last year; and the sale of luminaries increased from 1,139 last year to 1,463-plus this year.
Check out the Georgian's slideshow of this year's relay by clicking here.
