Cancer survivors are well aware of the fact that life can throw you a curveball. In the case of last Friday’s Relay for Life of Indian River County, it turned out to be a lacrosse ball that threw plans off course, but organizers of the event to benefit the American Cancer Society took it all in stride.
Traditionally held on the Billy Livings Field at the Vero Beach High School Citrus Bowl, the Relay needed to be relocated to the practice field north of the stadium because of a girls lacrosse playoff game between Vero Beach High School and Barron Collier High School. Theresa Woodson, ACS Treasure Coast senior market manager, said the school district was very accommodating, making the transition a relatively easy one.
Forty-seven teams turned out for the overnight affair, camping out from Friday evening into the wee hours of Saturday morning, with the goal of keeping at least one team member on the track at all times. The Relay began with an inspirational Survivor and Caregiver Lap and, after the sun went down, an emotional Luminaria Ceremony honored loved ones.
Entertainment and games throughout the night kept spirits and energy levels up, and a wide variety of foodstuffs kept bellies full while at the same time increasing team fundraising efforts. Organizers expected to raise more than $100,000 through the event, for which Piper was the presenting sponsor. The top fundraiser, already at $25,500 heading into the night, was The Village People, whose 68 team members live at Village Green.
“By walking this track you are joining forces with millions of people worldwide who want to save lives,” said event chair Nicole Noll. “Every dollar raised and every volunteer hour puts us steps close to finding a cure. We can make a difference.”
Dr. James Grichnik, director of the Scully-Welsh Cancer Center at Indian River Medical Center, said that while nationally cancer is the second leading cause of death, it is the No. 1 cause of death in Indian River County.
Cancer survivor Michael Hyde shared that he first heard the words “you have cancer” just one year ago. “This is my 21st relay but my first as a survivor,” said Hyde. “Until you hear the words, it really doesn’t sink in. I realized how much I really did not know about cancer.”
Hyde related that he was glad to have learned from ACS Relays about the importance of early detection and speaking out when something feels wrong. In his case, the lump he noticed while shaving turned out to be non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. About six months into that treatment, his oncologist discovered he had stage one kidney cancer, which had been completely asymptomatic. As a result of early detection and the skilled treatment he received at Scully-Welsh, his cancer is now in remission.
An overall spirit of optimism at the event was spurred on by the urgent need to raise money for cancer research and an awareness of cancer prevention, detection and education. An estimated 1.6 million people are expected to be newly diagnosed with cancer this year, with close to 600,000 losing their struggle with the disease.
