The 2006 Relay For Life - Fayette County will kick off its annual fundraiser for the American Cancer Society Tuesday, Jan. 17, at 7 p.m. at Glendalough Manor in Tyrone. This event is held each year to give anyone interested in participating in Relay For Life an opportunity to find out about the event, and to distribute informational packages to new and returning participants.

Relay For Life is a fundraiser to raise money to fund research and development towards patient treatment and finding a cure for cancer. Teams of 10-15 people join together to raise money through pledges, selling homemade merchandise or food, or providing a service to those who participate in the night long event. Relay For Life is also about honoring those who have survived cancer and celebrating life with them. The event features cancer survivors as torch bearers, as honored guests, and gives them an opportunity to receive fellowship from other survivors.

Relay For Life will start at dusk Friday, May 5, with a torch run from the Fayetteville Courthouse to the Relay site at the Kiwanis Fair Complex in Fayetteville. The event will conclude with a sunrise ceremony the next morning. The 2006 Relay is sure to be extra special due to a very significant cancer study that will be enrolling participants at the 2006 Relay. This study, called CPS (Cancer Prevention Study) III will follow enrolled participants for the rest of their lives and measure the cancer rate amongst them. The Fayette County Relay For Life is one of only six pilot Relay sites this year. Next year, based on the results of the 6 pilot sites, the study will be rolled out nationwide at 2007 Relay For Life events.

Cathy Gailey, a breast cancer survivor and local businesswoman, is returning for a second year as the chairperson of the 2006 Relay. Cathy is looking forward to a second chance, to “Get it right, and make it the best Relay For Life Fayette County has ever had.” On Cathy’s agenda this year is to improve the traffic congestion getting into Relay, closer and more efficient parking, a new track and event layout that will help with congestion and improve the sound quality.

Last year’s event was an overwhelming success with over 300 cancer survivors participating, 24 Fayette County schools participating, and raising over $479,000 for cancer patient care and research and development.

To find out more about Relay For Life or the CPS III study, please attend the Kick Off Reception at Glendalough Manor. For directions to Glendalough call 678-870-0068, visit www.glendaloughmanor.com or call Nychelle Williams, senior community income manager of the American Cancer Society, Fayette County at 770-460-8920.

login to post comments