Relay
for Life raises over $42,000 for Cancer
Society
By
Danielle Lagana
Summer Forty-Niner
Just
weeks after being diagnosed with breast
cancer, Diane Maizlish learned the cancer
had already spread to her bones, changing
her life in many unexpected ways.
"This
illness, known as cancer, has taken me from
my family and friends, my job that I loved,
and my home," Maizlish wrote in an
email. "I am in a lot of pain. I choose
to live as best I can. Relay is just one
way I can lead by example. If raising money
for cancer research is a way to prevent
others from going through what I am going
through, then Relay is for me."
Each
year the American Cancer Society raises
money through the 24-hour walk/run Relay
For Life where community members and sponsors
work together. This year Cal State Long
Beach hosted the Relay, raising over $42,000
to fund research, education, support groups
and transportation. There was an estimated
436 participants with 50 of them being cancer
survivors.
"Our
campus has seven teams," said Kathy
Shaon, breast cancer survivor and chair
of recruitment. "I think it's important
for the community to come together."
Shaon
has been out of chemotherapy for six months
and applauds the participants in Relay For
Life, as well as the Breast Cancer for Angels,
which is also a non-profit group that provides
financial assistance for families in need
while going through treatment.
This
year's Relay For Life had 25 teams comprised
of on-campus organizations and sports teams
such as the Ice Dogs. President Maxson walked
the track in the morning to show his support.
Weight Watchers was the largest group with
a total of five teams. The Long Beach Fire
Department and Poly High also participated.
The
campout in the middle of the field brought
these newly formed families closer together.
Norman Pollack belongs to his new family,
a support group at the Long Beach Memorial
Hospital. Pollack lost his wife to
cancer.
"She
is my motivator, she is the reason why I
became a volunteer. Now they are like my
family. We have remarkable people that belong
to the group," Pollack said.
He
said the fight against cancer that
she and her brother have endured continues
to touch the lives of many.
"The
two of them are an inspiration to other
people in our group to see what kind of
struggle she goes through and is overcoming,"
he said.
Pollack
says there are many members of his support
group that have amazing stories to tell.
"Larry
Davis has a rare form of cancer and it requires
all kinds of heavy medical treatment,"
Pollack said. "He is sometimes in a
wheelchair, sometimes in a walker. His wife
is also his caretaker. Despite all his troubles
he has a wonderful disposition. If you ever
need a lift, he's the guy."
Relay
For Life in California during 2002 was made
up of 141 Relay communities and raised over
$15 million. The funds raised by the Long
Beach Relay will be dispersed locally to
cancer patients and their families through
the Road to Recovery program, a woman's
breast cancer group called Peer-to-Peer
and a series of classes titled, "I
can cope," as well as education and
services. This month the society will sponsor
a one-week free summer day camp for kids
with cancer accompanied by their siblings.
The
American Cancer Society has invested millions
of dollars in peer-reviewed cancer research
and funded 30 researchers who were later
rewarded the Nobel Prize. The society reports
cancer incidents and deaths have declined.
The goal for the American Cancer Society
is double the lives saved, reduce incidence
of cancer by 25 percent and impact the quality
of life of cancer patients and their families
by the year 2015.
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