Relay for Life 2012

After attending the Relay for Life in Albany and Eugene to walk the survivor lap, I really wanted to participate on a team next year. Some lovely ladies from church ran in my name this year and it really touched me. So in 2012 I will get to be on their team!!! I am so excited!

Their team did extraordinary this year! They came in 6th place out of 58 teams in overall fundraising and raised $4,228.16! Their team goal was $30000.
Overall the Albany Relay for Life for 2011

• grossed $146,597!!!
• Most luminaries EVER- 1500 luminaries = $7,500 in luminaria sales!
• the most fundraising teams ever- 58!
• 170 Survivors
• Over 1,050 participants
• raised $3,398 in silent auction

Our team goals for 2012 are to have 10 team members and up to 18 if we can, get at least 25 survivors registered for the relay, sell at least 100 luminarias, our team fundraising goal is $8000 with individual goals of $300. I know with the hard work of our team and some fun creative fundraising we can reach our goal, so stay tuned to my blog for upcoming fundraising events if you'd like to help out.
If you'd like to help support our team please join us! Become a team member or a team supporter where you'll:

• attend relay with us
• help with fundraising and attend fundraisers (help spread the word about events, donate goods or services to the team, etc.)
• Help us find survivors
• attend meetings and find out ways to help if you want

If you would like to be on our team you can register online at the Relay for Life website. If we register before October 1st, 2011, then 100% of our $125 registration fee will be credited towards our team fundraising!  The relay will take place next year June 22nd 4pm - June 23rd 10am. 

This is my cousin Whitney and I at the Eugene Relay for life. We walked the survivor lap together, she survived  Hodgkins Lymphoma. Go Green Team! ;)

What do your relay donations support?

• Research The society is the largest source of non-profit, non-governmental cancer research funding in the U.S., investing about $130 million each year. They've funded 42 researchers who later went on to win the Nobel Prize.
• Education Following the Society's wellness and cancer-detection guidelines can save your life and the lives of people you love. They publish educational materials and programs on early detection and prevention of cancer for the community, our schools, physicians and cancer patients.
• Advocacy They fight for life-saving laws to increase federal research funding, reduce tobacco use, promote early detection of cancers, improve access to and coverage of care, and support cancer patients.
• Service They provide many patient and family support services to help people with cancer during and after treatment. Anyone, anywhere can access cancer information and support 24/7 at 1-800-227-2345 or at cancer.org. 

                     On average EACH week the American Cancer Society provides the following services and programs to reduce the impact of cancer on Oregon:

• 4,485 visits are made by state residents to cancer.org
• 127 people contact the American Cancer Society from our state via our 24-hour information line at 1-800-227-2345
• 104 State residents receive cancer patient related information or services from the American Cancer Society
• 3 Visits are made by Reach to Recovery volunteers to breast cancer patients
• 49 trips transporting cancer patients to treatment are provided by American Cancer Society Road to Recovery volunteers and other transportation programs
• 23 gift items such as turbans, prosthesis, or durable medical equipment are provided to cancer patients living in our state
• 18 wigs are provided to residents of our state
• 16 free or reduced rate accommodations are provided through our Patient Lodging program to cancer patients and their families traveling long distances for treatment

What your gift can do:

• $5-an hour of toll-free access to the National Cancer Information Center, providing support and valuable info for newly diagnosed cancer patients anywhere in the country. (This is the scariest time, when first diagnosed, you don't have any results back but a boat load of questions and concerns, this help line really...helps.)
• $25- an interpreter for a 10-minute call to the National Cancer Info Center (1-800-227-2345)- providing priceless information for a patient newly diagnosed.
• $100- Can provide a gas card to a patient to help them get to treatment appointments and relieve financial burden.
• $75- Can provide a woman battling cancer with a complimentary bra or other personal care item from their TLC catalog. (After my mastectomy they provided me with a special tank top to hold my drainage tubes, pain killer medicine tubes and breast prosthesis along with the actual breast prosthesis. I cannot tell you how helpful that tank top was for holding my tubes.)
• $100- a wig 
• $75- cost of training and providing resources for the Reach for Recovery volunteer to visit and provide ACS resources to a woman just diagnosed with breast cancer.
• $350- Value of Look Good-Feel Better consultation giving a cancer patient the opportunity to learn how to care for her changing skin during treatment including simple tactics for drawing eyebrows on her face and impacting her sense of well-being and self esteem. (Imagine loosing your breasts, your hair, your eyelashes - all your hair, possibly your ovaries and possibly uterus removed depending on what type of breast cancer you have, having ugly scars and burns not to mention the weight gain for breast cancer patients because the chemo we get doesn't always make us loose weight and because you're not feeling well enough or energetic enough to exercise plus the burden of having cancer. You are just depressed, you feel ugly and unwomanly. This can really help lift your spirits even for a short time.)
• $2,500- pays for 1 year of collage scholarship awarded to eligible young cancer survivors to help relieve the burden on families facing costly medical bills.
• $150- lodging to a patient to help them get to treatment and ease financial burden.
• $10- petri dish for cancer research
• $15- 50 test tubes
• $20- the cost of DNA taken from 5 of the 1,200 cases during American Cancer Society's Prevention Study II, which helps researchers understand the genetics of cancer.
• $30- a glass Erlenmeyer flask, which allows researchers to mix and/or store different substances, including potentially beneficial drugs, to discover their cancer-related effects.
• $350-provides 1 Gel Box, which researchers use to isolate DNA and identify differences that may impact cancer diagnosis or treatment.
• $10- Pays for a one-year membership to American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN). Members take action on legislative issues consistent with the Society's leadership role in cancer prevention, early detection, treatment, and survivorship. 
• $50-Supports advocacy campaigns to increase funding for cancer research or smoke-free laws.

I thought that was interesting to know where your donation dollars actually go and how they help, they really do help.

If you've lost a loved one to cancer you know how hard it is when their birthday comes up every year or during holidays or the anniversary of their death. You can still remember them on those days and feel good about donating in their name as a gift to them, help another cancer patient live for another day. 

Thanks for reading this and weather it's financial or with service, any help is appreciated.  I have so much appreciation for all the donation dollars that helped me get through this and all the love and support and service from my family, friends and church. I cannot express my gratitude. It has been an amazing, humbling experience. I look forward to being able to pay if forward.