Fayette County, and Delta Airlines, came through in a big way this year raising funds for the American Cancer Society in the 2007 Relay For Life this past weekend.

Together, 105 teams and other individuals helped raise more than $500,000 for not only cancer research and prevention education but also for local services provided to cancer patients in Fayette County, said spokeswoman Susan Stitt.

Some 30 of the teams at the event were from Delta Airlines, which also flew its special pink breast cancer awareness jet in a low-altitude fly-over to help inspire the more than 200 survivors who took part in the traditional “survivor’s walk.” The survivors kicked off the night-long event at the old Kiwanis Fairgrounds in south Fayette County. The youngest survivor was 3 years old and the oldest was 91, Stitt said.

In addition to Delta, local businesses and churches fielded teams in the event, which ran overnight from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. with walkers from each team constantly on the track.

Some of the funds raised go directly to the Fayette County American Cancer Society office, which uses them to fund several programs including:

• Transportation to cancer treatments, so caregivers don’t have to take additional days off.

• A wig studio where women can go in a private area and pick a hairstyle that suits them best.

• A support group for men whose wives are battling breast cancer.

• A makeup class for women undergoing chemotherapy because the treatment often changes skin tone and causes other problems that many women want to counteract to improve their appearance.

“A lot of that money stays in the community,” Stitt said, in addition to cancer research and prevention.

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