Join the Relay for Life

By Harley O'Neil

This year Relay for Life will be held again at Woolsy Stadium on the Crista campus at 19303 Fremont Ave N, Shoreline, WA 98133, on June 5 and 6. For those of you who have not experienced this event, it is truly amazing.

The American Cancer Society Relay For Life is a life-changing event that gives everyone in communities across the globe a chance to celebrate the lives of people who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost, and fight back against the disease. At Relay, teams of people camp out at a local high school, park, or fairground and take turns walking or running around a track or path. Each team is asked to have a representative on the track at all times during the event. Because cancer never sleeps, Relays are overnight events up to 24 hours in length.

At 10 am, Saturday June 5, the event begins with cancer survivors starting the first lap around the Woolsey track. It is a 1/4 mile course. Team members get pledges for donations based upon how many laps they complete. This event runs for 24 hours, so it ends at 10 am on Sunday morning. Last year $190,160 was raised at this event. This year it is expected that there will be 45 teams, 100 survivors participating, 850 other participants, and hopefully the amount raised will increase to $250,000. These events are held at many locations throughout the United States and the funds raised are used for a variety of programs. Some are listed below:

1. Rooms for Life - The Rooms for Life program provides free, temporary, non-medical housing for patients during treatment away from home.

2. Road to Recovery - The Road to Recovery program provides transportation to cancer patients. Volunteers drive cancer patients to and from treatment.

3. Reach to Recovery - The Reach to Recovery program is designed to help people cope with their breast cancer experience. Volunteers are breast cancer survivors who are trained to offer support at various points along the breast cancer continuum: diagnosis, decision making about treatment and its side effects; returning to a full active life, or confronting any long-term effects-including a possible recurrence of the disease.

4. Look Good Feel Better - This Look Good Feel Better program teaches beauty techniques to women currently undergoing cancer treatment. Women receive a free makeover including tips on skin care, nail care and make-up. They are also taught about wigs, hats and turbans.

5. Man to Man - This group provides information about prostate cancer and related issues for men and their partners in a supportive atmosphere.

6. Children's camps - Camp UKANDU and Camp Goodtimes are the Society's free, week long summer camps for children with cancer. These camps are equipped to handle the special needs of children undergoing treatment.

The programs listed above are only a small sampling of how the funds collected are used. As I recall, over 4.3 million was used at the UW on Cancer Research from money collected and over 7 million used in research at other facilities in Washington state. A cure for this disease will be found.

The Shoreline Breakfast Rotary Club will be sponsoring a team. If you would like to participate with us, please go to the Shoreline Relay website and sign up to be on our Rotary Club of Shoreline Breakfast team. There is a beautiful Luminaria event on Saturday evening at 10 pm, where you can light a candle in rememberance of people who have died from cancer or for individuals who are currently fighting this disease. My family has attended this inspring event for many years and has always left with a renewed hope for finding a cure.