Relay for Life

A special event occurs annually in Saline County and that is the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life. The Relay is Friday, June 27, 2008. It is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. at the Marshall High School stadium with closing ceremony slated for 6 a.m. Saturday. This last minute change is due to the Marshall Square being closed for pavement construction.

The Relay for Life event brings teams of people together that camp out overnight. They take turns walking or running around a track and each team is asked to have a representative on the track at all times during the event. Participation in the Relay is always a life-changing night for me. We celebrate the lives of those who have battled cancer. The strength of survivors inspires others to continue to fight and allows for a time for remembering loved ones lost to the disease. Fight Back. We relay because we have been touched by cancer and desperately want to put an end to the disease.

While I know there are several things happening this weekend in Marshall, Slater, and other local areas, it only takes a moment to stop and give your support. I have said it many times before and will continue to repeat the fact that cancer has affected nearly everyone in one way or another. The American Cancer Society contributes in many ways to individuals facing the fight of their life through education, nutritional supplements and cancer research.

Someone mentioned Dr. Randy Pausch in my first blog entry. Dr. Pausch has terminal Pancreatic Cancer and has successfully survived nearly two years with this disease. Pancreatic Cancer has only a 4% 5-year survival rate. In August of 2007, Dr. Pausch learned the cancer had metastasized to the liver and spleen. As of the date of this entry, Dr. Pausch is comfortably enjoying time with his family.

In my opinion, Dr. Pausch is a prime example of what research has accomplished through the development of new cancer fighting drugs. Although he will not survive this disease, his quality of life might have been increased as well as the length of time he spends with his wife and children. Feel free to visit Randy Pausch's update page at http://download.srv.cs.cmu.edu/~pausch/n.... He mentions in his national bestselling book "The Last Lecture" that cancer does not make him unique but I believe the way he has approached the illness is inspiring.

Take some time for others this Friday. Visit the Relay for Life, enjoy the entertainment, food, and thank the local teams for their participation and commitment.