Wednesday, April 30, 2003

Relay for Life this weekend

Cancer survivors and their families in the area are getting ready for one of the biggest weekends of the year.

The Fayette County version of the Relay for Life, sponsored by the American Cancer Society, begins this Friday evening at Fayette County High School and continues through Saturday morning.

Relay For Life is the American Cancer Society's signature activity, according to the Society's Web site. It offers everyone in a community a chance to participate in the fight against cancer. Teams of people camp out at a local high school, park or fairground and take turns walking or running around a track or path. Each team is asked to have a representative on the track at all times during the event. Relays are an overnight event, up to 24 hours in length.

Because Relay For Life is a community gathering rather than an athletic event, anyone and everyone can participate. Teams form from businesses, clubs, families, friends, hospitals, churches, schools, and service organizations. Team members share a common purpose to support the American Cancer Society's mission.

More than 80 teams have signed up for the Fayette Relay, which is almost double last year's total, according to co-chair JoDee Hubbert. Several high schools have gotten involved with multiple teams.

A game show theme has been adopted for this year's event. One team from Starr's Mill High has chosen "Fear Factor" and the team from Burch Elementary is using "Let's Make a Deal." A number of door prizes will be given away at the Relay using this format.

The evening begins with the one-lap survivor walk at about 6:45 p.m. Participants in that special event will go from there to a survivors dinner, which takes place as the regular walk is getting started.

The opening ceremonies are expected to start at about 7:30, with Georgia State University baseball coach Mike Hurst, an oral cancer survivor, as the special speaker.

The Relay ends Saturday at 8 a.m. There will be entertainment and games all night long, Hubbert said, and the general public is invited to stop by at any time. "It's all free, and it's a family event," she said.

Last year's Fayette Relay for Life raised $98,000, which was double the previous year's total. This year, organizers are hoping to raise more than $130,000, Hubbert said.

Fayette Community Hospital is the main corporate sponsor for the event, including the survivors dinner.

The Relay for Life began in May of 1985 when Dr. Gordy Klatt, a colorectal surgeon and avid runner, took the first step of his 24-hour walk/run around a track in Tacoma, Wash. He clocked 83 miles, raising $27,000 to support the American Cancer Society. The following year, 220 supporters on 19 teams joined Dr. Klatt in this overnight event, and the American Cancer Society Relay For Life was born.

Over the last 18 years, Relay For Life has spread to 3,800 communities in the United States and eight foreign countries. What began as one man's statement in the fight against cancer has led to the development of a worldwide event to help banish cancer.

For more information about the Relay for Life or the American Cancer Society, call the Fayetteville office at 770-460-8920.