Relay for Life walks for a cure

     Kendall Stiles and members of the local Relay for Life planning committee hosted GCSU’s kick-off event Jan. 29 at The GIVE Center. “Hunt for the Cure” is the theme for Baldwin County’s Relay for Life.
     Team captains and members attended the meeting to learn how to navigate the new Relay for Life website. Pat Hester, online chairwoman for Baldwin County, explained how to register the teams online and how to keep track of the teams’ events and fundraising.
      GCSU teams were also recognized at the meeting for participating last year. Collegiate 4-H raised more than $1,400 last year, and they plan to raise at least $1,500 this year.
     The American Cancer Society’s representatives and committee members shared their reasons to Relay.
     “I wanted to get involved in the community after I retired,” said Hester. “Both of my parents died of cancer, and I hope that my grandchildren will never have to deal with that.”
Hester was not the only person at the meeting who had been affected by cancer.
     “I lost my Grandpa Stiles to cancer,” said Stiles. “This hits close to home for almost everyone.”
     According to the Cancer Facts & Figures of 2007 supplied by the ACS, more than 1.4 million cases were expected to be diagnosed and more than 500,000 people were expected to die from cancer in 2007.
     Last year, Baldwin County raised more than $221,000. The goal this year is $225,000.
     Relay for Life will take place April 11 and 12 at Walter B. Williams Park. The luminary ceremony will begin at 9 p.m., and bank night will be the week of April 7 at 6 p.m. at Century Bank.
     Relay for Life is the hallmark event of the ACS to celebrate the lives of those who lost the fight to cancer, those who are currently battling cancer and the survivors. It is a celebration of life and a continuous campaign to research a cure.
     For more information about Relay for Life, the American Cancer Society or how to get involved or for a list of events, visit the Baldwin County Relay for Life website events.cancer.org/rflbaldwincounty.

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Feb 8 2008. 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