Gary Dalliday says he has come to terms with the fact that he will likely lose his latest battle with cancer. But the 76-year-old co-chairman for Saturday’s ninth annual Peterborough Petes’ “Pink in the Rink” fundraiser, and former CHEX TV sports director, isn’t going down without a fight.
“Tonight is just tremendous and that makes me feel really really good. Sell-out crowd here supporting ‘Pink in the Rink’ and it’s just been tremendous the last few weeks with all the support we’ve had,” said Dalliday.
Dalliday was diagnosed with cancer for the third time in December, just a few weeks after he agreed to host the annual event, with his son, Pete, and teenage cancer survivor, Tori Sotiriadis.
“You know I just hope and pray that someday events like this — the money raised and other things across Canada or North America for that matter — that they find a cure for the dreadful disease cancer and other diseases as well,” said Dalliday.
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“It’s been four months, I think, since we first found out. It’s been fun, we’ve raised some money, we’eve sold some t-shirts, we’ve done all we can do, now it’s just time to get out there and play the game,” said Dalliday.
The arena was packed with supporters taking in every moment of the charity game between the Peterborough Petes and the Oshawa Generals.
“The people that have come out for this game, they’re going to see their loved ones up on the screen, whether they’re still with us, or whether they have passed. There are so many people here celebrating as well, who have beaten cancer, ” added Dalliday.
“I’m here representing a girlfriend that’s going through breast cancer right now, and I’m a breast cancer survivor after nine years as of January,” said supporter Sharon Taylor.
Since 2010, more than $611,000 has been raised for women’s cancer research, thanks to the annual event. It’s an initiative Dalliday is proud to support while he still can.
“I’ve always felt there’s a time to come and time to go, and whenever that happens it happens. Hopefully not for a long time though, but we’ll see,” said Dalliday.
The Oshawa Generals took the game by a score of 8 to 2, in front of a season-high attendance of more than 3,820 fans.
Last year the event raised over $75,000. This year’s event raised over $83,000, with still more donations to come. The event exceeded the goal of $60,000.
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