Relay for Life events are off to a good start; more to come

Relay for Life events are off to a good start; more to come

This is a special time of year for cancer survivors and anyone who has known someone with cancer — which would be all of us. It is the season for Relay for Life.

And this is a special year for the relays, the 24th year of a 24-hour fund-raising and peer-support event that started with one doctor in Tacoma, Washington, and grew into a nationwide event in a remarkably short time.

Relay for Life is today the American Cancer Society’s largest fund-raising event and the Mahoning Valley can be proud of its position as one of the premiere relay sites. But as was mentioned, relays are about more than raising money, they are about raising spirits. Cancer survivors and their loved ones come together in an attitude that declares, if any one of us can beat cancer, then together we’ll some day beat all cancers.

This past weekend, Warren hosted the largest single Relay for Life event in Ohio and one of the biggest in the nation. And in an area that has one of the highest unemployment rates in the nation, Relay organizers still set their sights high, aiming to raise nearly a half million dollars.

But, Warren, while remarkable for its size, is just one of many relays in the tri-county area.

Next weekend, two other relays will be held, one at Boardman Center Middle School and one at Churchill Park in Liberty. Ten others will be held in June and July. Relays have already been held at Youngstown State University and the Ralph Infante Wellness Center in Niles.

Mark your calendar

Columbiana County will host these relays:

June 5-6, East Liverpool.

June 12-13, Lisbon.

June 26-27, Salem.

July 10-11, Columbiana.

Mahoning County will host these:

May 15-16, Boardman.

June 5-6, Austintown.

June 19-20, Sebring.

June 19-20, Springfield.

July 10-11, Poland.

Trumbull County will host these:

May 15-16, Liberty.

June 5-6, Cortland.

June 12-13, Lordstown/Newton Falls in Newton Falls.

Events are typically built around the example set by Dr. Gordy Klatt, a Tacoma surgeon, who spent a grueling 24 hours circling the track at Baker Stadium at the University of Puget Sound in May 1985. He covered more than 83 miles, and with friends who paid $25 to run or walk 30 minutes with him, he raised $27,000 to fight cancer. The next year 19 teams took part in the first team relay event, and this year’s events will be held in 5,000 communities in the United States and 20 other countries. Participants are welcome to walk for 30 minutes or for the whole 24 hours, and about 70 people in Warren completed the 24-hour marathon, with the allowed 10 minute breaks.

Warren is to be congratulated for another successful event. The relay has prevailed through good weather and bad, and this year through winds that had teams battening down the hatches on their tents.

We can only wish for sunny skies for those communities yet to hold their events, but the people who turn out for any Relay for Life have shown they’re ready to face anything life sends their way.