It's time to lace up the walking shoes and get ready for the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life.
The Leflore County Chapter of the American Cancer Society kicked off its 2002 campaign Tuesday at a team captain's meeting at AmSouth Bank.
This year's event will be held April 5-6 on the Greenwood High School track, located in Bulldog Stadium. The overnight event will celebrate survivorship and raise money and awareness in the fight against cancer, said Ashley Strickland, income development manager for ACS.
The event will start at 6 p.m. with a reception for cancer survivors. At 7 p.m., survivors will be honored by taking the first lap around the track to kick off Relay for Life. All survivors will be given a medallion and T-shirt to wear that night.
The highlight of Relay for Life is the luminary service at 10 p.m. The track will be lined with luminaries purchased by individuals in honor of a cancer survivor or in memory of someone who has lost the fight against cancer, Strickland said.
Relay for Life is the American Cancer Society's national signature event. Participants walk, run, stroll and shuffle around a track while raising money to fight cancer. Participants also are encouraged to camp out around the track and take part in family activities when they are not taking their turn walking, Strickland said.
Team members never know what to expect at Relay for Life. Strickland said, from creative and outrageous team themes and fully-decorated campsites to food, family and fun, Relay for Life always inspires, entertains and motivates participants to continue the crusade against cancer.
One of the most imaginative campsites at Greenwood's Relay for Life last year came from Union Planters Bank. The bank used the theme from the "Survivor" television show. Employees put up a bamboo tent and dressed in camouflage, according to Union Planters Bank team members.
More than $32,000 was raised in Leflore County the 2001 campaign, but Strickland is hoping for an even greater effort this year. "I would love to see this community raise $50,000 to fight cancer," she said.
On the "fun"raising front, teams from companies and organizations collect donations and win prizes for their efforts, Strickland said. There also will be entertainment, as well as games and activities for all ages.
"Relay for Life is not just about raising money, it's about raising awareness and bringing attention to this horrible disease," said Beth Tackett, team recruitment chairman for the American Cancer Society. "Many of the participants are cancer survivors themselves, and they are living proof of the strides we have made in the fight against cancer."
The dollars raised at Relay for Life will be used by the American Cancer Society to continue funding cancer research, develop new prevention and detection programs and continue providing patient support programs.
Cancer will strike one in two men and one in three women during their lifetime, Strickland said.
To register for Relay for Life, call the American Cancer Society at 1-800-ACS-2345 or 451-4158.
To learn more about the American Cancer Society, visit its Web site at www.cancer.org.
