Building A Relay Community: Sharing the power of purple

Submitted by admin on Tue, 04/15/2008 - 16:47

By: Holly Domingue

One person can make a difference. Nowhere is that more evident than with the American Cancer Society’s signature fundraising event, Relay For Life. Relay For Life offers everyone in a community an opportunity to participate in the fight against cancer. It’s a celebration of life and a continued commitment to eliminate cancer as a major health disease.

Held in over 4,500 communities nationwide, big cities to small towns, Relay For Life offers something for everyone, from the newly-diagnosed, to caregivers and friends, to long-term survivors.

Because Relay For Life is a community event, everyone is encouraged to participate. Teams of 10 to 15 people formed from businesses, clubs, families, hospitals, churches, schools and service organizations. These people share a common purpose, their support of the American Cancer Society’s mission. Each team is asked to have a representative on the track at all times during the event and camping out overnight. Each participate is also encouraged to raise at least $100 for the American Cancer Society.

This year, it is estimated more than 1.4 million new cases of cancer are expected to be diagnosed in 2008. Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States, and one of every three deaths is from cancer. This event provides communities across the country the opportunity to celebrate, remember and fight back against cancer.

Funds raised from the Relay For Life event help to provide lifesaving information, patient support programs and cancer research to improve the quality of life for cancer patients and their families.

All Relayers know the true “Power of Purple” You’ve seen lives changed when you invite others to Relay For Life for the first time. You know the sense of victory when those who have battled cancer walk their first Survivor Lap. You never forget the emotion of placing a luminary bag around the track for someone you love. And you want to share all that Relay For Life is with others in your community.

That’s why The American Cancer Society is inviting the Evangeline Parish Community to share in the Power of Purple and encourage everyone to help us Celebrate, Remember, and Fight back against cancer Friday, May 24, at Ville Platte High School from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m.

For more information on how you can participate call 337-237-3797 or call 1-800-ACS-2345. Visit www.cancer.org for any of your cancer questions or concerns.