ALMOST a thousand people lit up the streets of Southampton as they remembered loved ones who died from cancer.
Guildhall Square was the starting place for Cancer Research UK’s Shine Night Walk on Saturday.
The 10k event raised more than £70,000 to support different areas of scientific research and help more people survive the disease.
Local resident Peter Hougham formed a team of four men whose lives have been impacted by cancer.
Peter Hougham (2nd from left) lost his Dad to cancer 12 years ago. Neil Cooper, (3rd from left) was treated for bowel cancer last year.
He said: “My dad passed away from cancer twelve years ago, my friend lost his daughter-in-law earlier this year, team member Neil had bowel cancer last year and Keith is here supporting us all.”
Dawn Macdonald, 61, was joined by friend Debbie Armstrong, 54.
She said: “My dad died of cancer and he was my world. Now we’ve got very good friends that have had it and are fighting it and we want to stop this disease.”
Debbie, left, walked Southampton Shine 6 months after being diagnosed with breast cancer following a routine mammogram. She is now cancer free
A team of 30 friends adorned with glow sticks and fairy lights arrived to support the event, which was hosted by BBC Radio Solent’s Alun Newman and took walkers past Ocean Village, Town Quay, Oxford Street and Northam.
Southampton is just one of 18 locations across the UK to hold the event which is in partnership with online fundraising platform Omaze.
Chloe Eggins and Rose Willis, both 12, travelled all the way from Cornwall.
"Cancer needs all the help it can get and we really wanted to do Shine so my dad drove us here," said Chloe. "We’re really excited to do it.”
Chloe Eggins,12 and Rose Willis, 12, travelled from Cornwall to take part
Martine Appleyard, from St Albans, joined daughter Sian, a student at the University of Southampton, to mark Sian’s birthday and remember her husband, Nigel Appleyard.
He died from neuroendocrine cancer last year.
Martine said: “This felt like the right thing to do on Sian’s birthday to remember her Dad and to try to raise money to give other people a bit longer with their loved ones.”
Every year, around 1,200 people are diagnosed with cancer in Southampton.
Shine Night Walk will return in 2022, and those interested can sign up from today.
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