Women urged to join in the race to help find cure for cancer

A CANCER survivor spoke to city shoppers about why she and 5,000 other local women took part in the Race for Life this summer.

Karen Salter spent an emotional morning reading through inspirational messages the women of the Killerton House and Westpoint races had pinned on the back of their T-shirts.

The mother-of-four from Whimple was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2005 and underwent a mastectomy, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. She said she hoped hundreds of people had seen the special gallery of back signs in the window of the Cancer Research UK shop in Sidwell Street.

Some of the messages remember individuals lost to cancer while others, like Karen's, celebrate those who have benefited from improved treatments and survived the disease.

When she and husband David celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary in April they asked for donations to Cancer Research UK instead of presents.

Karen, 45, who lost her step-mother to cancer, said: "I don't know anybody who hasn't been touched by cancer, either directly or indirectly.

"Each back sign message reminds me that the reasons for wanting to beat cancer are very real and close to us all.

"Seeing all the other messages on Race for Life day made me feel like I was part of something special — something that could make a real difference to beating cancer.

"I hope this display makes people stop and think, and hopefully encourage those that crossed the finish line to return their sponsorship money.

"I'd also like to think that those who didn't take part this year will hopefully be inspired to join their local Race for Life in 2009."

Nationwide, the annual fundraising event saw 687,000 women walk, jog or run 5km this summer in the hope of raising more than £50m to fund research into the prevention, treatment and cure of cancer.

It is hoped that the events at Killerton House and Westpoint will have raised hundreds of thousands when all sponsor money is returned.

Cancer Research UK's Exeter shop manager, Jennifer Richards, said: "Like Race for Life, our shop is very much part of this local community. The messages on the back signs are a poignant reminder that more than one in three people in the UK will develop cancer at some point in their lives. Every sign is written for somebody's mum or dad, sister or brother, son or daughter, friend or colleague."

To find out more about Race for Life and how to return sponsorship money, visit www.raceforlife.org/southwest or ring 0871 641 2279.

To sign up to run 10k at Powderham Castle on September 14, visit www. run10k.org/local.