Taking a stand

By JERIANNE STRANGE
Glasgow Daily Times

May 03, 2008 04:25 pm

— One in three people will be diagnosed with cancer during their lifetime. And the cancer diagnosis will affect the person’s family and friends, often in profound ways.
Relay For Life is one way to help those touched by cancer – either personally or through their family or friends. Relay is the American Cancer Society’s signature activity and it offers a community an opportunity to take a stand in the fight against cancer.
The annual Relay for Life of Barren County is Friday at Glasgow High School football field and running track. This will mark the 15th year that Relay has been a part of the community.
“Cancer is such a dreaded disease,” said event co-chairman Jesse Brown. “You hear so much bad. This is where you can hear and see the good.”
There are several teams registered for this year’s event. Teams vary in size from 8 to 15 members, Brown said. Organizers are expecting several hundred people to line and walk the high school track Friday night.
The Survivors’ Lap in the first leg of the night’s journey, a chance to laud those who have triumphed. Luminaria are the candlelit bags that signify hope. This year there is also the Fight Back! component, where people make personal pledges to do what they can in their own lives to prevent cancer.
Relay For Life started with one man’s quest to do something in the fight against cancer.
Dr. Gordy Klatt, a Tacoma, Wash., colorectal surgeon, wanted to help his local American Cancer Society and to show support for all his patients who had battled cancer. He decided to raise money doing something he enjoyed – running a marathon.
In May 1985, Dr. Klatt spent 24 hours circling the track in Tacoma. He ran for more than 83 miles. That first year, nearly 300 of Dr. Klatt’s friends, family and patients watched as he ran and walked the course. Through the night, friends donated $25 to run or walk with him for 30 minutes. His efforts raised $27,000.
While circling the track those 24 hours, Dr. Klatt thought about how others could take part in his mission to fight cancer. He envisioned a 24-hour team relay event that could raise more money. Over the next few months, he pulled together a small committee to plan the first team event.
In 1986, 19 teams took part on the track at the historic Stadium Bowl and raised $33,000.
The spirit of that first all-out Relay shines through today in events across the country.
Locally, organizers have worked diligently since last fall to plan and prepare for this year’s event.
Co-chairman David Kinsman said the committee members, all of whom are volunteers, have gone above and beyond anything he would have ever expected.
“They are something else,” he said of the organizers.
The local Relay has a fundraising goal of $180,000. As of late Friday afternoon, nearly $11,000 had already been raised.
Kinsman has taken to the track as part of a church team in the past. This is his first year in a leadership role.
“It’s a wonderful night,” he said. “The entire community supports this; they all come together for one cause.”
For him, the event is also very personal. His parents are both cancer survivors. Ryan Witt, his7-year-old neighbor – and his daughter’s best friend – has been fighting cancer for more than a year. And Carroll Benedict, who owned Benedict and Benedict Oil, was a special friend who lost his fight.
“I do Relay in honor of my parents,” Kinsman said. “And in a show of support for Ryan Witt and in honor of Mr. Benedict.”
The money raised at Relay saves lives by funding cancer research, promoting early detection and prevention education, advocacy efforts and patient services.