Relay is major fund raiser of American Cancer Society
By Beth Alston, Americus Times-Recorder, Ga. | |
McClatchy-Tribune Information Services |
Luminaries are sold to honor or memorialize those who have struggled with the disease and this year include choices of lighted candle, glow balloon or torch.
This year's local event has 24 teams registered and 119 participants so there will a lot to see and do that evening. Teams have tents or sites where people can enjoy food concessions, play games for prizes or just fellowship.
The sponsors for this year are:
Platinum Sponsors: Eaton and
Opening ceremonies, emceed by
The Luminary Ceremony starts at
ACS celebrated its 100th birthday in 2013. In the last century a lot has changed because of the ground-breaking work of the ACS, Cromer said.
An ACS study discovered the link between smoking and cancer in the 1950s. The study was done by two avid smokers who were trying to prove there was no link.
In 1985, ACS began Relay for Life, started by an oncologist who ran for his patients; this was the start of the largest fund raiser for the ACS.
The ACS wrapped up enrollment for its third cancer prevention study in 2013. Currently enrolled are over 300,000 people and it's the first study if its kind, using a blood draw. They signed up people here two years ago for this study.
The ACS is saving 400 lives each day from cancer; that's two out of every three people are surviving cancer. In the past three years that number bumped up from 300 lives a day; 36,000 more people each year.
"But that's enough," Cromer said. "We need to make that number three out of three."
She said there are four pillars of the ACS: Helping people to stay well to prevent cancer. Educating on the screens they need to detect cancer early. Helping people to get well by aiding cancer patients and their caregivers in their journey with patient navigator program and other programs. Searching for cures through research division.
"We fight back," Cromer said. "We help pass laws that can rally communities to fight back against cancer."
In the Stay Well pillar, the ACS has many programs to help people stop smoking, which is one of the greatest ways to prevent getting cancer. The first hour after your last cigarette your body starts to heal, the first day, the first month, the first year, you're making great strides to heal your body
"We have guidelines for proper nutrition because we know P.E. is being cut in some school systems ... we're seeing more obesity in our nation," she said.
In the Get Well aspect, each year the ACS has one million people calling its information number. It's 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
"We have someone manning the phones, answering calls from cancer patients that may be up at
She urges everyone to visit cancer.org for factual information on cancer diagnosis and treatment options, etc. and to link with resources.
"We can also link patients with 64,000 clinical trials that are being tested that really may work and may be life-saving," she said.
One of her favorite topics, Cromer said, is
"It's a place that cancer patients and their caregivers can go free of charge during a cancer treatment. There are only four criteria: You must be over the age of 18; you must live over 40 miles from your cancer treatment center; you must be referred by your physician and you must be staying at least three nights.
"There's no monetary criteria. It's a place where other cancer patients are staying. They will transport you for your treatment every day and bring you back. It allows for the patient and their caregiver to stay for free for as long as they're undergoing treatment. "
Cromer said that in the last year, there have been four people within
"That's over
The ACS spend
In the Fight Back part of the ACS, they work with a sister organization, Cancer Action Network, a nonprofit that can contribute limited amounts of funding to lobbyists.
"Almost 80 percent of Americans are covered by no-smoking laws because of the work of the
Cromer said the state provides funding for breast and cervical cancer screenings.
"We partner with them and since 1991, we've helped many people so we fight for the state funding not to be cut. "
One in every 15 Americans participates in the 1,500 Relays every year.
"That's only 1 percent," Cromer said. "We need that number to grow because Relay for Life is the majority of our funding."
"There's been a 20 percent decrease in mortality within the last 20 years; that's 1.2 million people. That's the 400 lives being saved per day. That's 400 more birthdays."
Cromer said that Relay for Life empowers communities to fight back against cancer.
"We celebrate; we remember and we fight back," she said. "We celebrate those who have been diagnosed with cancer, those survivors who are still fighting, the survivors who are walking that survivor lap at Relay. We remember those people who we have unfortunately lost to cancer, and we fight back against the disease by raising money, walking against it and for that one night, we are so empowered against this disease .... Everyone has a reason to relay."
Cromer mentioned her grandmothers who were both diagnosed with cancer and because of groundbreaking treatment, are both still living.
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