Relay for Life Plans are Underway as Two Local Events Join Forces
Great news, Fayette County, there’s a new Relay in town. The two county Relay for Life events for the American Cancer Society have united to form one bigger and more fun Relay. The event will be held on Saturday, April 12, from 6-10 p.m. at Leopard Stadium in La Grange. Even though it is still a few months away, event planners want to get the word out to the community.
If you aren’t familiar with Relay for Life, here’s a little history. This year, the American Cancer Society (ACS) is celebrating “40 Years of Impact.” It was in 1985 that one person, Dr. Gordy Klatt, ran around a track in Tacoma, WA, and raised $27,000 for the ACS. The next year, the first Relay for Life team event was held in Tacoma. In 1997, the ACS launched the National Cancer Information Center to provide cancer support and information 24/7 free of charge. Most importantly, in 1997, the first documented downturn in cancer mortality rate was reported due, in part, to increased screening rates. The next year the ACS announced that the number of people being diagnosed with cancer decreased for the first time. Currently more than 5,000 annual events are held in more than 20 countries.
For over fifty years, the ACS has been building and supporting Hope Lodges near cancer centers to provide short term housing for those receiving treatment. Both San Antonio and Houston have Hope Lodges. For over forty years, the ACS has supported the Road to Recovery program which connects volunteers to those needing rides to treatment and doctor appointments. Funds raised through Relay for Life events help support these and many other ACS programs.
Participants in Fayette County are proud to have supported the American Cancer Society for over twenty years. In recent years, the two county Relays have experienced declining participation. Over the summer, it was decided to combine the two and hopefully spark new interest as well as welcome back prior participants. There are several ways to get involved in the Relay for Life of Fayette County. Sponsorships are a great way for businesses and even individuals to get involved. What makes Relays fun is team participation. In 2005, the Relay in La Grange had forty teams. The last time it topped twenty was 2010 with twenty-five teams. When the teams are set up around the track with activities and food, it creates a carnival-like atmosphere that is family friendly. Anyone can start a team. Sometimes, it’s co-workers, family members, or friends. Often teams are united in the love and loss of someone to cancer or to rally around someone who is currently battling the disease.
Don’t have a team? Individuals are still encouraged to register and participate. Volunteers are needed from now until the event to make it the best Relay Fayette County has ever seen. Our theme this year, “Give Cancer the Boot,” offers lots of possibilities for teams and activities.
Most importantly, we need survivors to register and participate. There will be special recognition of survivors at the Relay. Any survivor unable to register online will be able to do so at future fundraisers that will be posted in the newspaper or use the contact information below. . Relay for Life wants to celebrate all cancer survivors as well as remember those that we have lost to this horrible disease. There will be luminarias (bags with tea candles) around the track at the Relay. After dark, we will pause the other activities and take time to honor and remember our loved ones. Luminarias may be purchased from any participant or online. Other opportunities to purchase them will be shared on the event webpage, Facebook page, and with the newspapers. Visit relayforlife. org/fayettecotx for more info on sponsoring, participating, purchasing luminarias, and/or registering as a survivor. Get updates by joining the Fayette County Relay for Life Facebook group. Donations can be made online or mailed to Relay for Life of Fayette County, PO Box 275, Fayetteville, TX 78940. If you have questions, email Becky at becky.rfl.lagrange@ gmail.com or call Glenda at (979) 249-6884.