BY EARLENE WARD - FOR THE SIERRA STAR
The fifth annual
American Cancer Society Relay For Life will be held this weekend
at Wasuma Elementary School in Ahwahnee. The 24-hour event begins
at 9 a.m. Saturday, May 15, and continues through 9 a.m. Sunday,
May 16.
During that 24-hour period, one person from each of the teams entered
in the Relay will be walking or running on the track. Only members
of a team are allowed to participate in the Relay. However, cancer
survivors are invited to be special guests and to walk the first
lap Saturday morning and the last lap Sunday morning. Other special
events are planned for survivors including a breakfast at 9:30 a.m.
Saturday and dinner from 5-6:30 p.m. Saturday.
Survivor registration begins at 7 a.m. on Saturday. As guests, survivors
will receive an event survivor shirt, cancer survivor lapel pin
and all meals. For more information about the special events for
survivors, call Ruby Clark, survivor chair, at (559) 683-0237.
The public is invited to attend the luminaria ceremony that begins
at dusk Saturday. Lights are placed around the track in memory of
those who have lost their battle with cancer and in honor of survivors.
The lights burn throughout the night.
Madera County District 5 Supervisor Gary Gilbert will present a
proclamation Saturday morning declaring May 15 Cancer Survivor Day.
Funds raised through the Relay benefit the American Cancer Society.
In 2003, 26 teams in Eastern Madera County raised $110,000. The
goal for 2004 is 32 teams and $115,000. The American Cancer Society
provided services to 181 patients in Eastern Madera County in 2003
and educated more than 200 people at the Oakhurst Community Health
Fair.
The American Cancer Society provides such services as mileage reimbursement
for trips for medical care, a Look Good Feel Better program for
cancer patients, Reach to Recovery and a support group.
The Eastern Madera County support group for cancer survivors, spouses,
caregivers, family and friends is held every first Wednesday at
6 p.m. at Oakhurst Medical Group. For information, call 1-800-ACS-2345
or (559) 658-6420.
The American Cancer Society has a vision for 2015 to: reduce cancer
incidence by 25 percent, reduce cancer mortality by 50 percent and
to improve the quality of life for cancer survivors. Relay For Life
started in 1985 in Tacoma, Washington when Dr. Gordon Klatt walked
around a track for 24 hours. He raised $27,000 for the American
Cancer Society. In 2002, Relay raised $273 million nationwide. The
goal for 2004 is to raise $288 million through Relays in 3,800 communities.
The goal for California for 2004 is for 228 Relays to raise $22.8
million. For more information about Relay For Life, call event co-chair
Janice Ellis at (559) 683-0968 or event co-chair Lynette Schrank,
(559) 683-5066.
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