The American Cancer Society Relay for Life and Relay for Life of Pottstown
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The American Cancer Society Relay For Life and Relay For Life of Pottstown Facts, History, Information American Cancer Society Mission Statement The American Cancer Society is the nationwide community-based voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by preventing cancer, saving lives, and diminishing suffering from cancer, through research, education, advocacy, and service. Relay For Life® Mission Statement The hope that those lost to cancer will never be forgotten, that those who face cancer will be supported, and that one day cancer will be eliminated What is the American Cancer Society Relay For Life? American Cancer Society Relay For Life is a community and volunteer-based fund—raising event. It is a unique event that offers communities an opportunity to participate in the fight against cancer. Relays are 24 hours in length and are overnight. Teams camp out at a local high school, college, park or fairground and take turns walking, jogging or running around a track or path. Each team is asked to have a representative on the track at all times during the event. Relay For Life is a community gathering rather than an athletic event. Anyone and everyone can participate. Businesses, clubs, families, friends, hospitals, churches, schools and service organizations form teams. These teams share a common purpose – their support of the American Cancer Society’s mission. Why Relay For Life? The power of Relay brings people together to celebrate the lives of those who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost and empower individuals and communities to fight back against a disease that takes too much. For a newly diagnosed patient, Relay For Life offers an opportunity to meet others who have had the same type of cancer and survived. For the cancer patient in treatment, Relay offers the opportunity to share experiences with others. For the long-term survivor, Relay brings recognition that the community cares about their struggle and closure to a trying time in life. Another group finding hope in Relay For Life is the caregivers. These individuals give their time, love and support to family, friends and neighbors who face cancer. At Relay, everyone understands the challenges and joys of being a caregiver. There is peace of mind knowing that together we can face the challenges ahead. The History of Relay For Life One person can make a difference. Nowhere is that more evident than with the story of the American Cancer Society Relay For Life which began in Tacoma, Washington as the City of Destiny Classic 24-Hour Run Against Cancer. In the mid-1980s, Dr. Gordon Klatt, a Tacoma colorectal surgeon, wanted to enhance the income of his local chapter of the American Cancer Society. He decided to personally raise money for the fight by doing something he enjoyed – running marathons. In May 1985, Dr. Klatt spent a grueling 24 hours circling the track at Baker Stadium at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma for more than 83 miles. Throughout the night, friends paid $25 to run or walk 30 minutes with him. He raised $27,000 to fight cancer. That first year, nearly 300 of Dr. Klatt’s family, friends and patients watched as he ran and walked the course. While he circled the track those 24 hours, he thought about how others could take part. He envisioned a 24-hour team relay event that could raise more money to fight cancer. Months later he pulled together a small committee to plan the first team relay event known as the City of Destiny Classic 24-Hour Run Against Cancer. In 1986, 19 teams took part in the first team relay event on the track at the colorful, historical Stadium Bowl and raised $33,000. An indescribable spirit prevailed at the track and in the tents that dotted the field. 1 Due to its fundraising success and overwhelming support of the American Cancer Society’s mission, Relay For Life was declared the American Cancer Society’s signature activity in 1996. Relay For Life celebrates survivors, funds research advancements and cancer education; inspires the public to become involved in the American Cancer Society’s advocacy efforts; and makes important services possible for patients and their families. Last year, Relay For Life raised $386 million at 5,034 sites throughout the United States and took place in 20 other countries, evolving into a worldwide movement to end cancer. Registration Relay teams register with a commitment fee of $10 per team member. The fee provides the team a campsite at the event along with promotional and fundraising materials. The fee also helps offset direct expense incurred from the event. Fundraising Teams are asked to raise funds, a minimum of $100 per team member, to benefit the American Cancer Society’s education programs, patient services, advocacy efforts and research endeavors. Fund-raising can be accomplished through direct requests for donations, online email campaigns, group efforts such as bake sales, raffles, company or school-wide contests, events, etc. For more ideas, visit www.relayforlife.org or ask someone on the Relay Committee. Team Fundraising Club The program is a proven recognition and motivation tool for increasing team fundraising and participant satisfaction. A nationwide program has been developed known as the National Team Fundraising Program. Individual Fundraising Club We know that those Relays that promote the incentive program have higher team averages. Participants will receive their Certificate Code via email for the achieved appropriate level. Participants will have an opportunity to choose whether they redeem the certificates. If not redeemed within the time specified from email/letter, however, we have recognized their fundraising efforts through the process. Celebrate We celebrate the lives of those who have battled cancer through the Survivor Ceremony. Cancer survivors and their caregivers are invited to a special lap around the track and refreshments. Remember Another moving ceremony takes place at dusk at every Relay event – the Luminaria Ceremony. Candles circle the track and glow through the night with names on every luminaria bag remembering those who have lost their lives to cancer and honoring those who have survived. Fight Back We Relay because we have been touched by cancer and desperately want to put an end to the disease. The Fight Back Ceremony asks participants to take action: to personally take on a healthier lifestyle, to promote early detection of cancer, to advocate for better coverage for screenings and access to healthcare, to become more involved as a volunteer with the ACS to fund our mission. These are a few ways to fight back! Funds Help We save lives and create more birthdays by helping you stay well, helping you get well, by finding cures and by fighting back. Relay For Life of Pottstown’s Inception and History For a number of months, Maddi DeGennaro, RN, Income Development Specialist with the American Cancer Society Southeast Region, would make a recommendation to the ACS Pottstown Unit Advisory Board to consider holding a new event called the Relay for Life. In addition to vocally asking for assistance with such a project, she had the Board watch ACS promotional videos and even brought representatives to meetings to try to convince the unit of the event’s money raising potential. As a favor to Maddi, Sharon Basile RN, Deb Kurtz RN, Ginny Hoppes, cancer survivor and patient, and Ginny’s husband, Dick, visited Kutztown, PA’s 1997 Relay for Life. Sharon described the event during a subsequent meeting of the ACS Pottstown Advisory Board and ended with the simple statement, “I think we could have a wonderful Relay here in Pottstown.” Her enthusiasm and vision of a local event, along with the offered assistance of Ginny and Dick, were the catalyst for the record breaking event held at the Hill School on May 30-31, 1998. Hundreds of people spent two very hot humid days walking, talking, dancing and singing. Some even endured a “near-tornado” the night before the Relay as they were setting up their tents. (Sharon remembers standing under the massive main tent in the wind and describes it as being somewhat akin to “being in the heaving lungs of some giant beast breathing in and out.”) The first time event for the area blew away all records for a new Relay as well as the record for money raised in the area on one day, over $132,000. 2 The Pottstown Area Relay for Life Fundraising History 1998 The Hill School $129,200 raised 1999 Owen J. Roberts High School $225,000 raised 2000 Owen J. Roberts High School $322,333 raised 2001 Owen J. Roberts High School $431,509 raised 2002 Pottsgrove High School $490,370 raised 2003 Pottsgrove High School $560,749 raised 2004 Pottsgrove High School $540,761 raised 2005 Pottsgrove High School $578,241 raised 2006 Pottsgrove High School $687,548 raised 2007 Pottsgrove High School $1,005,896 raised 2008 Pottsgrove High School $908,653 raised 2009 Pottsgrove High School $735,709 raised 2010 Pottsgrove High School $729,661 raised 2011 Pottsgrove High School $771,623 raised TOTAL $8,117,253 raised How Donation Dollars are Spent We’ve been educated over the years as to “where our donation dollars go” and how our community directly benefits from the donation dollars that are raised through the Relay For Life of Pottstown. These monies have helped to further research, educate individuals about the importance of prevention, screenings and early detection, advocate our legislators which has resulted in the Clean Indoor Air Act and insurance coverage for colon cancer screening, and to provide much needed patient services. Donation dollars also fund a 24 hour hotline, 1.800.ACS.2345, and a website, www.cancer.org , to provide accurate, non-biased cancer information and answers to your questions day or night.