|
Hollings
Relay for Life 'does it right' — all night!
by Benjamin H. Breitkreuz, Ph.D., Chaplain and Community Outreach Liaison, Hollings Cancer Center
“If we’re going to do it, let’s do it well.” The Hollings Cancer Center Relay for Life team put this old adage into action and took home the Best Decorated Tent Plaque at the 1999 Mt. Pleasant Relay for Life. Eighty-two thousand dollars were raised at the Mt. Pleasant relay (part of the $569,000 currently raised by 10 of the 12 area relays, including a huge $126,000 by the Moncks Corner relay). MUSC teams raised $9,348 (including $3,147 by the College of Nursing team). A team member from Hollings Cancer Center raised the most amount by an individual. It was an evening (and night for a number of particularly courageous souls) to remember — the large number of MUSC people who came out for the evening, the barbeque prepared by Reeves Barbeque, the menacing storm that roared in after the luminary bags were all out around the track but passed over with nary a drop of rain, the always impressive first lap by cancer survivors, and the luminary service with some 3,500 luminaries to commemorate those who have died of cancer and honoring those who have survived. Several people (and their indulgent supervisors) contributed enormously to our success at relay: Teresa Atwood and Lisa Knight of the Cancer Registry; Janella Rivers of Hollings Development; Sylvia Crews and Julia Smith of 10E; Hayley Anderson of 8W; Marie Metcalf and Tysh Vecchione of DDC; Mardi Senns of the College of Nursing and numerous others who supported them. Relay for Life is the nationwide, community-based signature event of the American Cancer Society. Its goals are to educate the community about cancer, particularly its prevention and control; to support those who are cancer survivors; to remember those who have died of cancer; and to rally the community to fight cancer by raising money for ACS’s educational, patient/family support and research programs. And oh yes, 10E is already raising money for next year’s relay! |
Costumed
Relay for Life participants pause for a moment in the middle of the night
before resuming their nocturnal walk to raise financial support and public
awareness in the fight against cancer.