Peachtree City resident Kim Westwood has been preparing for her new job with the American Cancer Society, as the Community Manager of Fayette County for years; she just didn’t know it. 

Westwood’s previous employment has been in two very visible community positions.  Westwood founded and owned, A Blue Lady Florist in Peachtree City.  Owning the flower shop allowed her to quickly establish excellent relationships with high ranking members of both the corporate and municipal organizations in the Fayette community, as well as the general citizens.  As an usher and Corporate Sponsor Liaison at the Frederick Brown, Jr. Amphitheater she served as an unofficial greeter and hostess to patrons, local officials and visiting dignitaries of the amphitheater.  During the last concert series she started a hula-hooping activity at the Fred, which has given her some unexpected public notoriety. 

One of Westwood’s responsibilities as Community Manager of Fayette County will be to oversee the volunteer Organizing Committee for the annual Relay For Life of Fayette County.  Westwood is very familiar with volunteer activities. 

Her own volunteer resume has put her in contact with a wide variety of influential people in the community.  She is currently serving on the Board of Directors of the Kiwanis Peachtree City, she received the Vocational Service Award from Rotary International in 2006, and she represented Fayette County as Chairman for the United Way in 2006, and has also been a Spokesperson for the Women’s Economic Development Association.  Westwood is currently serving as an alternate on the Peachtree City Tourism Association.

Westwood was drawn to apply for the position of Community Manager after watching a close friend lose his wife to breast cancer, last fall.  She was impressed by the outreach of friends and community to this woman during her battle against cancer.  An email announcing the job posting was in Westwood’s email box shortly after the friends’ death.  It seemed obvious to Westwood that she too could reach out to others fighting the cancer battle, and suddenly she knew that this was the job she had been preparing for all along. Westwood reports to Michelle Blose, Senior Community Manager of the local American Cancer Society office. 

When asked why Westwood was chosen for the position Blose’s response was, “We are excited to have Kim on our team at the American Cancer Society.  She brings a wealth of experience and relationships that will help her achieve her goal of increasing participation in the Relay For Life.  Kim has an amazing energy and passion for the cause.  You can’t talk to her about the American Cancer Society without wanting to join the fight!”

Relay For Life, the American Cancer Society’s signature event, is a life-changing experience that helps celebrate the lives of those who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost and to fight back against a disease that takes too much. It is an unforgettable event that raises awareness and funds to save lives, help those touched by cancer, and empower people to fight back against this disease. With the money raised at Relay, the American Cancer Society is working toward an important goal -- a future without cancer.

Participants from all walks of life – including patients, medical support staff, corporations, civic organizations, churches and community volunteers – join together in the fight against cancer. Relay For Life is a team event where participants walk around a track relay style overnight. Teams of cancer fighting enthusiasts will gather at the Kiwanis Fairgrounds on Friday, April 30 to show their support and dedication. Volunteers from the Fayette community are needed to begin planning now for this event.

“Relay For Life is as much an awareness raiser about the progress against cancer as it is a fund raiser,” said  Westwood. “Individuals who are willing to give their time and energy to this exciting event, as a volunteer or participant, have made a commitment to fight back against this disease and let the community know that you can beat cancer.  I am very proud to be joining this community in the fight this year.”

Volunteers are needed to organize and recruit teams, seek community support and underwrite, coordinate logistics, find refreshments and prizes, plan entertainment, and lend their support in any way. If you would like to join the Relay For Life in Fayette County as a volunteer or team participant, call Kim Westwood, Community Manager at (770) 631-0625, or email Westwood.westwood@cancer.org.  You can also check out the event website at www.relayforlife.org/fayettecounty.
 
Funds raised through Relay For Life supports the American Cancer Society and its mission of eliminating cancer as a major health problem through cancer research, education, advocacy and service. With the dedication and support of more than two million volunteers across the United States, the American Cancer Society is making a difference in the lives of cancer patients and helping to prevent cancer deaths.

The American Cancer Society is dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by saving lives, diminishing suffering and preventing cancer through research, education, advocacy and service. Founded in 1913 and with national headquarters in Atlanta, the Society has 13 regional Divisions and local offices in 3,400 communities, involving millions of volunteers across the United States. For more information anytime, call toll free 1-800-ACS-2345 or visit www.cancer.org.
 

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