Annual Relay Raises Funds for Cancer Awareness

Last year I volunteered for the event and though I have lost some family and friends I didn’t have the passion that I do this year.

My reason has been deepened this year since my boyfriend died New Year’s Eve of liver cancer.

The Society holds team captain universities to get participants and volunteers involved and you can get more information at acsrelay.org.

You can send a torch relay around your community also to promote cancer awareness and prevention, to remember those who are still battling cancer, and honor those who have lost their battle. For example, in Virginia the Peninsula Relay Torch Relay takes a loop through Hampton and Newport News before returning to Todd Stadium and lighting a very large torch there.

“My husband and I created the torch relay for the Peninsula Relay For Life when our event outgrew its original site and the committee decided to open a second site in a nearby city,” said Kathy Cawthon. “We began with a committee that solicited nominations for the honored torch bearers, and the committee agreed that these should be cancer survivors, caregivers, and medical professionals who work in the field of oncology. The first torch relay was such as a success that the original site said; ‘Now we want you to do it again next year and bring it back.'”

January was also cervical cancer awareness month.

“Your team captains are the ones who really make your event a success,” said Ramesh Moorthy, a volunteer for the American Cancer Society in Baltimore, MD. “Now is the time of year many are holding their kick-off and first team captain meetings. Many events do a torch relay now. There is no finish line until we find a cure.”

Moorthy said that as Relay for Life expands there is a great opportunity to build relationships with other events around the nation or even the world.

Some cancer survivors who are active in the relay take event materials to their doctor’s offices and support groups.

The relay also hosts a survivor reception as part of the festivities.

Many volunteers advertise for survivors to get them involved in the Community Section of local newspapers or “Penny Savers” which are often free.

The American Cancer Society has distributed a lot of ideas to volunteers and other contacts about how to promote survivorship and find survivors to get them involved in the relay like holding a survivor breakfast or dinner several months before the relay and inviting all the support groups in their area, posting signs at local hospitals, doctor’s offices; etc.

The Society also has a speaker’s bureau who knows survivors.

One program is a Reach to Recovery Program.

Another idea to get survivors involved in the relay is to have survivors bring a friend who is also a survivor to events.

“Survivors often know others who have also battled cancer,” said Moorthy. “You can also start a Yahoo or Google group on-line that survivors can find if they want to talk to others.”

Survivors often serve on committees such as entertainment.

There is also a survivor lap as part of the relay where a survivor will read names and survivors tell their stories before a Luminaria service during the Survivor’s Reception or in the Opening Ceremony of the relay.

Survivors participating also write thank-you notes to sponsors after the event.

Centerpieces are used sometimes for survivors to take home after the relay.

“You can hand-print paintings on t-shirts on the back of them (care-takers or spouses place their hands-prints on the survivor’s back),” said volunteer Michael.

Survivorship metals can be found at costore.com, wristbands at costore.com/relaygear, Cancer Survivor collectible pins at costore.com/relaygear/productenlarged and various pins and magnets at costore.com/relaygear/productthumbnails.asp.

“I’m planning on doing a ‘spotlight’ dance just for the survivors since we’ll be having live entertainment and ample space for a dance floor,” said volunteer Amanda. “Rather than sewn squares I’m asking survivors to prepare a quilt square on regular-size paper – they’ll be laminated, patched together and mounted on a sturdy, permanent backing so we can add to it year-to-year.”

Some chapters have a Kids Conquering Cancer Lap. After the Survivors Lap kids who are survivors stay on the track then all kids join them the next lap.

“You can also have a Survivor Tree of Hope and have survivors bring ornaments to hang on it,” suggested Danielle, a volunteer.

In places like Hawaii survivors walk through a balloon or ornamental arch and break a paper banner as part of the relay.

At various relays there are also Walls of Memories where people write messages on.