September 12, 2007

LETTERS2theEDITOR

‘I relay’ for family, cure

Editor,
On July 14, 2007, I participated in my first Relay For Life at the Campbell Community Center track. This 24-hour event is dedicated to educating the community about cancer; raising funds for cancer research; and supporting cancer patients, their families and their caregivers.

To raise funds, team captains recruited team members and held fund raising events before and during Relay. This past weekend, the Relay For Life of Campbell raised over $308,000 for the American Cancer Society with 75 teams, over 1,250 participants, and 210 survivors.

At dusk, the Ceremony of Hope honored survivors and remembered those who have lost their battle with cancer by lighting candles in the luminarias that surrounded the track. The names were read from each luminaria.

During the luminaria ceremony Yvonne Myrah, co-captain of the Walking Raviolis, shared her personal story about why she and her cousin, Tina Martignetti, formed their team three years ago and continue to participate each year. The Walking Raviolis are a close-knit, dedicated family consisting of Tina’s father Carmen, sister Lisa, brother-in-law Little Dog, aunts, uncles, cousins and lots of mini-raviolis who are all very passionate about finding a cure. They were motivated to make a difference because Tina’s mother, Mary, was diagnosed with breast cancer 11 years ago and a year later, Tina received the same diagnosis at 25. On July 1, 2007, Tina lost her fight, just two years after her mother. While her family grieved their loss, their love for Tina and her enthusiasm for the Relay For Life event helped them surpass their goal of $20,000; raising close to $30,000 for the American Cancer Society.

I had the pleasure of meeting Tina at a Team Captain meeting in April. It was easy to notice Tina not only because of her positive energy but also because of her big, beautiful smile. If she didn’t have a baseball cap covering her bare head, I would have never known that she was getting chemotherapy. That night at the Team Captain meeting, I asked for volunteers to share why they Relay.

Tina was the first to sign-up. She sent me her answer on May 7, 2007. Her response summarizes what’s in the hearts of many of the volunteers and participants at the American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life.

Why I Relay?

“I Relay because I truly believe there will be a cure one day. I Relay so that people will not have to go though what others, my mom and myself have gone though. I have been fighting cancer for ten years and I have personally seen the benefits of the research. At the beginning of this year I was told there was only one kind of chemotherapy that I could use, and a couple of months ago I was told there are now two more treatments that could benefit me.  Since I have been on chemotherapy for the last seven years I have seen first hand how the research has really benefited me and others. 

I Relay for my family, because without them none of this would be possible.  Each and every one of them has been there for me every step of the way, the love and support I get from them makes me the luckiest person on earth and that is why I fight so hard.

I Relay for the one's we have lost, the one's still fighting, and so no one else will have to experience this disease called cancer.”

Relay For Life will continue because there is no finish line until we find a cure. Thank you to all the participants and donors for the 2007 Relay For Life of Campbell. If you were not able to participate this year, this is an invitation for you to join us next year. If you own a business, this is your invitation to donate to the event and become a bigger part of your community. Or become a team captain and get your friends and family to join you in this fight against cancer. With cancer, it is not a question whether it will touch your life but when.

So next year, participate! Be a part of the solution. Visit www.cancer.org or call 1.800.ACS.2345 to find the nearest American Cancer Society Relay For Life event.

Name withheld by request

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