Relay For Life kicks off at Walter B. Williams

Relay For Life celebrates a decade of success and accomplishments in Baldwin County this year with “Surviving the Decades.”

The 2003 Baldwin County Relay for Life begins at 6 p.m. Friday, April 11 to 10 a.m. Saturday, April 12 at the Walter B. Williams complex.

Relay For Life is a 24-hour event focused on raising awareness and money for cancer research. The walk began quietly in May of 1985, as the personal mission of one doctor to help raise money for cancer research and has quickly become the number one fundraising event for the American Cancer Society.

Students and faculty at Georgia College & State University prepare with their teams year-round for the annual event, along with citizens of the Baldwin County community.

Working as a community with the citizens is important to GC&SU, according to Kendall Stiles, GIVE Center director and Relay For Life chairperson.

“Over the past 10 years GC&SU has really come together as a community with the citizens of Baldwin County,” said Stiles. “Relay For Life is a really great event for everyone to participate in. The real foundation of Relay is a community taking on a fight together.”

Celebrating 10 years of the fight with Relay For Life is very special to four people in particular. The four Baldwin County cancer survivors who walked the Survivor’s Lap in 1993 will all be present to take that walk again, ten years later.

They are the embodiment of this year’s theme, “Surviving the Decades,” according to Stiles.

The 2002 goal for Baldwin County was $165,000. Participants soared past their goal last year with an amazing $206,000. There are hopes for an even more profitable year in 2003.

This year’s goal for Baldwin County is $210,000. This is a significant increase from last year, and the goal comes during a time of war and economic hardship.

“We will hold our breath and see what happens, due to the economic situation,” said Stiles. “Our job with Relay is to raise money but also to educate people in the community and have them become advocates for cancer research.”

The goal for Baldwin County has increased considerably over the past decade, largely in part to the participation of GC&SU students and faculty.

“We’ve gotten so large and successful because of the university and student involvement,” said Stiles. “We hope that the college students will understand how important it is for them to get involved with their community at some level.”

Kim Benfield, GC&SU senior and GIVE Center undergraduate assistant, promotes student involvement with volunteer efforts, such as Relay For Life.

“Volunteering helps to strengthen the bond between the university and the community,” said Benfield. “It’s a cause that is important to all of us because it is so well known.”

For those who think that the only thing happening at Relay for Life is walking in a circle, think again. Between the 6 p.m. kick-off Survivor’s Lap and the ending awards ceremony Saturday, participants can keep their energy up with great music, food and games, from frisbee golf to bingo.

Stiles encourages students and faculty to participate in Relay For Life.

“Relay For Life is a great event for having fun but is also a great event since the cause is so important,” said Stiles. “Cancer has touched almost everyone or someone they know, so it is something that we can all relate to and work toward a cure for.”

For more information on how you can participate in Relay For Life, call the GIVE Center at 445-5936.

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Apr 10 2003. Filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry