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Relay rallies community support for cancer patients
By Justin Goble
Supporting cancer patients is a community-wide effort, and Relay for Life organizers are hoping to drive that point home with this year’s event.
The annual all-night fund-raiser will take place next Friday and Saturday, May 19 and 20, from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. at the Jackson County Recreation Complex in Cullowhee. This year marks Jackson County’s ninth Relay for Life.
Participants in last year’s Relay for Life take part in the “Survivor’s Lap,” in which cancer survivors take a victory lap around the track while being cheered on by their supporters. The “Survivor’s Lap” will open this year’s event, which will take place next Friday and Saturday, May 19 and 20, from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. at the Jackson County Recreation Department. According to Annette Kesgen, this year’s chairman, things like the “Survivor’s Lap” helps make members of the community aware of how prevalent cancer is, and that people are working to help out. “It is a great reminder of why we participate in Relay For Life,” she said.
According to Annette Kesgen, this year’s chairman, Relay is a lot more than just the all-night event. Though it gets a lot of the attention, she said the work done in the community throughout the year is just as important, and the Relay itself is a way to celebrate that.
“Many people think of the event as the main focus,” Kesgen said. “But it’s a culmination of everything that has led up to it, like the fund-raising and the Survivor’s Dinner. This year we are trying to focus on it as a community event.”
A cancer survivor, Kesgen said she began her work with Relay as a direct result of her experiences with the disease.
“I got involved in other counties before I had cancer,” Kesgen said. “The spring after I was told I had two types of cancer, I found out SCC was getting a team together for the first time. So I joined them, and I’ve been doing it since. Last year, we had a team full of survivors called ‘The Survivor All-Stars.’ Before I had cancer I took part in Relay, but I wasn’t involved at any great level.”
Though not a survivor herself, Susan Yashenko, who has been directing publicity for the event, says she began working with Relay for Life because of the effects cancer has had on people around her.
“I was involved with Relay because cancer has touched people in my life,” Yashenko said. “There have been many people in my life who have died from cancer or survived it. It touches everybody in some way.”
This year, Relay organizers are hoping to raise $80,000 or more for the American Cancer Society. Kesgen said she is confident they will meet that goal, since they are already “more than two-thirds of the way there.” All of the funds raised will be used in a way that is beneficial to cancer patients in the county, she said.
“The money we raise helps out in several different ways,” Kesgen said. “One of the main things it helps provide is patient services, which are offered in the county. It also helps to fund the American Cancer Society’s 1-800 number, which allows cancer patients to talk to someone 24 hours a day. It also goes to research and advocacy. Some of the funds are used to support lobbyists in Washington to get things changed. So people are seeing the results directly. The services are definitely here.”
Another way the event helps out is by allowing the community to show support for both cancer patients and survivors. While this is a more abstract goal than raising money, it is equally important, Kesgen said.
“Being at the event itself, many people see others in the community they didn’t know were dealing with cancer,” Kesgen said. “So it’s a chance for them to show support. A great example is the luminary candles people can buy. They are a way to honor those who have survived, along with those who have not. And that’s just as important.
“The person who started Relay for Life wanted it to be an all-night event because cancer never sleeps,” Kesgen said. “People with cancer really see that. They’re the one’s waking up at night in pain. So this is a way for us to support those people who have gone through it and say, ‘We’re with you.’”
“There’s something great about volunteering on a community level,” Yashenko said. “You get out there and meet people. It’s a very social event.”
At this point, Kesgen said a number of teams and sponsors have already come onboard for the event. Though pre-registration is preferred, she said there will be room for anyone who wants go be a part of the event, and organizers will take registration right up to the 7 p.m. start time.
“We have close to 50 teams already,” she said. “Most of them have more than 10 team members. Since I’ve been involved, the number of teams has increased every year. We have church groups, boy scout groups and corporate sponsors. To make it happen, a lot of support comes through our sponsors.”
One of the more interesting things Kesgen said she has noticed is the amount of younger teams taking part in the event.
“Elementary schools even have teams,” Kesgen said. “Even at an elementary level, they know why they are involved. It’s great that we’re getting it out there.”
Yashenko said she thought much of this could be attributed to Relay, since it allowed a dialogue about cancer to be opened up between people both young and old. Things weren’t always this way, she said.
“When I was 5, a friend of mine died of leukemia,” Yashenko said. “Back then, it wasn’t something that was talked about. Today, that’s not the case.”
Along with the teams, Yashenko said Relay has gotten a lot of support from businesses throughout the county. She and Kesgen both agreed that this has bolstered the feeling of community involvement for this year’s event.
“Local businesses have been behind Relay all the way,” Yashenko said. “They are really supportive throughout the community.”
“From little things like putting our poster in the windows of their shops, sponsors have been getting the word out,” Kesgen said. “We have had tons of support.”
As a survivor herself, Kesgen said the support makes her pretty emotional, since it shows how many people want to make others aware of cancer’s effects.
“It makes me want to cry,” she said. “For me, being involved makes me feel like I’m making a difference, whether it’s giving someone support or organizing an event to fund patient services. I’m glad I’m involved. Cancer is the silent disease, and it will touch everyone’s life. The American Cancer Society’s motto is, ‘We won’t stop until we have a cure.’ They won’t, and neither will we. I’ve seen cancer take away too many people.”
To make a donation to Relay for Life, contact Kesgen at 508-9932 or mail contributions to 189 Parchment Lane, Sylva, N.C. 28779. Donations can also be made at www.acsevents.org/jacksonrelayforlife. To purchase a luminary candle, contact Christi Young at cyoung@wcu.edu.
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