On May 5th Soldiers from 694th Maintenance Company in Snow Hill participated in Greene County’s 14th annual Relay for Life Event. This event raises money for cancer cure and promotes awareness within communities. Detachment Soldiers have been participating in this event for the past 5 years by escorting the Torch of Hope from the Greene County Courthouse to Greene County High School for a total distance of 1.5 mile.

This year’s torch run was particularly important for the Soldiers of Det 1 694th Maintenance Company, because one of their own has been fighting cancer for the past year. SPC Kyle Boyer, 22 from Asheville NC, who is a member of the 694th Maintenance Company, was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. SPC Boyer has been undergoing treatments for the past year and has recently been told by physicians that the cancer is now in remission.

With Soldiers from the 694th Maintenance Company and Veterans marching behind him, SPC Boyer carried the Torch of Hope on its ceremonial lap around Greene Central’s High School track with the song God Bless the USA in the background. SPC Boyer stated “The Torch symbolizes the hope to keep going. It (cancer) wasn’t going to beat me. All it takes is hope and we can find a cure.”