Early birds punch first in cancer fight
Taking part in an early bird gathering for Relay for Life also has its advantages.
Both points of wisdom are trumpeted by those whose lives have been affected by cancer. Many of them gathered en masse Saturday at the Spring Hill Branch Library.
Roughly 10 out of the 36 teams that already have signed up for next year’s Relay for Life were on hand to raise money and take part in the early bird event.
“It’s a great cause. Not only is it a way to remember those we have lost, but it’s also a way for us to prepare for the future,” said Megan Champagne of Brooksville.
Her grandmother was diagnosed with cancer four times and both of her grandfathers succumbed to various forms of the disease.
“Every time you look at your family’s medical history, you see all these diagnoses lined up,” Champagne said. “It’s scary.”
The next relay will take place April 16 at Nature Coast Technical High School.
Susan Myers is the chairwoman. She and Jean Harberts mingled with the team members throughout the morning and afternoon Saturday.
Next year’s theme is books and novels. It conveys the message that people “are writing the final chapters to cancer,” said Harberts.
The themes for each individual team centered on literature – either classic or modern. Spring Hill Health and Rehab Center picked Harry Potter. The Spring Hill Kiwanis Club chose “Gone with the Wind.”
“We want cancer to be gone with the wind,” said Roseann Jones, a cancer survivor herself.
The donations from the relay – a portion of which was collected Saturday – will go toward the American Cancer Society for research and services.
Those services include housing at the Hope Lodge, where cancer patients and their caregivers can stay for free while they receive treatment and assistance at the nearby Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa.
Nine Hernando County residents stayed there last year and their visits were funded entirely by donations through the Relay for Life, Myers said.
Team members do more than attend the early bird and the actual relay. They raise money on a weekly or daily basis throughout the year. Some offices hold bake sales while others sell homemade arts and crafts.
Jocelyn Giancarlo, of Spring Hill Health and Rehab, said her business is inviting employees and patients to submit recipes for a cookbook. It will be printed and sold and all the proceeds will go toward the relay.
“It’s such a fun event to do,” she said. “It’s such a great cause. It feels great to raise money for something that is so important.”
Reporter Tony Holt can be reached at 352-544-5283 or [email protected].
