The Canadian Cancer Society may be cutting back the hours for this year's Relay for Life in Chatham, but it's not cutting back its fundraising goal.
The event will run from 6pm this evening until midnight at Chatham-Kent Secondary School. Last year's event went from 12pm-12am.
Fundraising co-ordinator Krissy Rioux says they ran a pilot program last year with the shorter format and it went over well.
"We can have our cancer survivors who might not be able to be out for the full 12 hours at least attempt to be there," says Rioux. "As well as with families, they can have their children out for the six-hour event without it feeling like a full day for everybody."
Last year's event raised about $82,000, but Rioux says this year, they're already close to hitting that mark.
"Everyone is doing their best at fundraising and we are really hoping we can reach our $115,000 goal by the end of the event," says Rioux. "If that doesn't happen, we still have a little bit of time to reach it by accepting funds right up until the end of July."
Rioux says they are expecting to come up short of their goal of having 490 participants this year, but they are making a good push to eclipse 300 walkers. She says they had at least 75 people sign up this week alone.