Area residents to stay up all night fighting cancer

By Rose Hooper

Jackson County's Relay For Life begins 6 p.m. this Friday, May 4, and runs through Saturday, May 5, at 8 a.m. All activities take place on the Western Carolina University track.

Relay For Life is the American Cancer Society's signature fund-raiser, with all monies raised going to cancer research.

To open the program, the Fiddling Dills Sisters and the Carolina Mountain Boys will perform. J.D. Pierce will serve as master of ceremonies.

Dr. Michael Heller, Western Carolina Regional cancer specialist, will read the team names as members begin walking with their banners. The team with the best banner will be awarded $250. Each team has at least 10 members who have pledged to raise a minimum of $100 in donations to support the ACS. During the team walk, the Fairview Chorus, led by Kim Councill, will sing.

While the teams walk the track, registration for the 8 p.m. Survivor's Lap continues, as does sales of luminaires. At 7 p.m. a reception for cancer survivors will be held. One Accord Trio will entertain, and children's activities, such as clowns and face painting, will take place. The Kiwanis will cook hot dogs and hamburgers for dinner.

If you are a cancer survivor, you won't want to miss the Survivor's Victory Lap at 8 p.m. This lap symbolizes the courage survivors and their families display and sustain in their lives, said Mary Moody-Bumgarner, Relay For Life chairman. All caregivers are invited to join the survivors.

Relay honorary chairmen and cancer survivors Nicholas Connor and Carl Coward will be introduced. Dr. David Thomas of the Mountain Regional Cancer Center, sponsor of the Survivor's Lap, will read the names of cancer survivors. Journey By Faith, with Dana Tucker and Becky Green, will perform during the Survivor's Lap.

At 9 p.m. the luminary ceremony begins with the lighting of each luminaire, which will be placed around the track. Luminaires can honor those who are cancer survivors or be lit in memory of those who have died from cancer.

Luminaires, white bags filled with sand and a candle, can still be purchased Friday for $10. Each bag along the track will be decorated with the name of a cancer survivor or one who died of cancer. As the candles are lit, R.J. Grady will play "Amazing Grace" on the bagpipes, then Allen Stephens will sing "Lifesong." Chuck Norris and the Willing Servants will also perform.

"The luminaires really light up the night," said Chairman Moody-Bumgarner. "We've had people driving by on N.C. 107 stop just to see what's going on."

"All of our teams have worked hard to raise money for cancer research. The Relay is actually our time to party and have a good time," she said. "It's a time of camaraderie talking with other walkers around the track and visiting those who camp out overnight."

Each team pledges to have one walker on the track at all times.

Last year, Relays nationwide raised $120 million for cancer research. Every known method of cancer detection, such as ultrasound, MRIs, CAT scans, mammography and more, was discovered by researchers who were awarded American Cancer Society research grants. Additionally, every known technique for treating cancer was discovered by ACS-funded researchers.

Back to Archive: 05/03/01.