Walk all night to fight for a cure for cancer
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Relay for Life is sponsored by the American Cancer Society and is the largest cancer-fighting event in the nation. Relay for Life is at least a 12-hour walk which begins at 6 p.m. and lasts the entire night. The object is to have teams competing against one another to see which team can walk the furthest and raise the most money.
Relay for Life was originally created as an overnight event in 1985 by Dr. Gordon Klatt. He completed a 24-hour journey around a Tacoma, Wash., track to launch Relay for Life as it’s known today.
Dr. Klatt’s reasoning is that cancer patients endure months – and sometimes years – of treatment and life-changing issues. He felt staying overnight at a Relay for Life event is one small way to symbolize and support the struggles of cancer patients and their families.
Locally, Carole Cathcart is the Relay for Life chairperson and Mike Steakley is the event ambassador. The Relay for Life organizational meeting will take place at Westwood ChuXrch of Christ next Thursday, Feb. 20, at 7 p.m.
Organizers and hoping to involve representatives from some of the county’s major employers. Their goal is to generate a friendly rivalry between companies to see who can generate the most donations.