American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life 2003 raised $94,475.63, almost $25,000 more than their stated goal of $75,000.
The relay began Friday, June 6; by 3 p.m., Saturday, 47 participants had raised nearly $95,000 for cancer research and local patient support.
Relay chair Yvonne Musgrove credited the high support from corporate sponsors as well as participants committee members and everyone who donated.
Local cancer survivors opened the relay by leading the first lap. This year, cancer survivors wearing purple T-shirts and carryingtorches led the way around the track. Andrew Lagerwey, 6, managed to tote a torch taller than he was around the quarter-mile track.
“When Andrew got his shirt earlier this week, it brought back all our memories,” mom Judy Lagerwey said. “So many people were praying for him. Andrew is here today due to the power of prayer and research.”
Andrew is a neuroblastoma survivor. This cancer of the nervous system usually strikes young children and is found as a tumor in the abdomen. Treatment is severe: chemotherapy, surgery and high-dose radiation. As a last resort, Andrew had harsh chemotherapy to kill his immune system, followed by a stem-cell transplant.
“His doctors say he’s cured,” Judy Lagerwey said. Neuroblastoma has one of the highest return rates. But Judy Lagerwey explained that if the cancer returns, it returns quickly after treatment. Now Andrew has CAT scans once a year to screen for tumors.
Although doctors consider Andrew cured, the drugs used to save him destroyed some of his hearing. He wears hearing aids to compensate for the hearing loss. His family doesn’t care about that. “He’s alive,” Judy said.
Other torchbearers were Gail Seelow, Linda Wadlington, Jared Davis, Tomiko Quinn, Tim Lawson and Pam Jamieson. More than 1,500 candle luminarias encircled the track Friday night to honor and remember the many who have died as well as those still fighting cancer. Volunteers from relay teams took turns reading the names aloud.
Upchurch Scientific’s team again was the top team by raising $5,866.58;United Methodist Church raised $5,816.05.
Funds raised by Relay for Life participants will allow the local American Cancer Society unit to expand services to cancer patients and their families, to offer more educational programs to reduce people’s risk of contracting cancer and to expand cancer research.
Approximately 40 percent of funds raised goes to support local cancer patients while only 4 percent goes toward management.
