The Relais pour la Vie (relay for life) normally takes place at the Coque leisure centre where, over two days, teams do circuits of the sports hall on foot or wheels, to ensure a continuous relay.

Because of pandemic-related restrictions on large gatherings, this year’s event became virtual with participants doing sports in a place of their choosing and sharing photos and videos.

“Thanks to their solidarity and generosity, the amount raised this year was €614,000--an undeniable success,” organisers said in a press statement.

The touching event saw livestreams of interviews and speeches from guest speakers, including Luxembourg’s Grand Duchess Maria Teresa, European commissioner for health Stella Kyriakides and Luxembourg prime minister Xavier Bettel (DP).

According to health ministry figures, each year just over 1,000 people in Luxembourg die from cancer while 40% of cancers are preventable. Among men, lung cancer was the most common, followed by colorectal and prostate. For women, breast cancer caused the most deaths, followed by lung and colorectal.