Relay for Life squad setting tough trail to follow

For two years in a row, since Relay for Life began in Pictou County, it has raised more money than any other relay team.
Last year, the squad raised more than $10,0000. This year, the members are one of only six teams to register for Relay for Life before the Feb. 25 kickoff. And, in fact, they've already started to raise funds for the June 2008 Relay.
The team is named after 55-year-old Marilyn DeCoste of Thorburn. DeCoste has terminal cancer. She was diagnosed in September 2005.
"Medically speaking, none of us are sure why I'm still here," DeCoste says. "It just hasn't been my time."
DeCoste says she supports Relay for Life, in part, to give back to the Canadian Cancer Society, who she says have given her so much during her battle with cancer.
She's proud of the success of Marilyn's Team. They have a reputation as the number one team, she says, and they expect to continue to hold that title. "On a daily basis, I'm thinking of ways we can fundraise."
But don't expect any team member to reveal how they raise funds. They keep their trade secrets under firm lock and key.
While she says cancer has tested her in many ways, she doesn't like to focus on her illness. Instead, she focuses on the people in her life that give her strength.
"I'm very fortunate," DeCoste says."I have a terrific family and wonderful friends who support me. That's what keeps me going."
Leah Sweet, a fellow teammate, calls her friend an inspiration. The two have been friends for years, long before cancer entered their lives. Sweet says DeCoste was a shoulder to cry on after her husband, Edward Sweet, passed away from cancer.
"She was there for me," says Sweet, who last year raised more than any other individual for Relay for Life. "Now I want to be there for her."