Locals find empowerment in Relay for Life (May 30, 2008)
By Nate Jones
Staff Writer
Scarborough resident Katy Foley wasn’t necessarily surprised to find out a large majority of her students at Mahoney Middle School in South Portland knew a family member or friend who had been touched by cancer.
“I think only one student per class didn’t know anyone,” she said. “It’s very prevalent.”
Foley is leading one of the largest registered teams – 45 students, teachers and friends – to participate in this year’s American Cancer Society’s June 13 Relay for Life event at South Portland High School. She has used her ties with Project Reach, a private, nonprofit organization that encourages high-risk students to stay in school, to inspire students to sign up for the event. Together, students at Mahoney and Memorial Middle Schools have already raised almost $1,000 – close to a third of their total goal.
Last year, Foley said she joined a group of friends who participated in the relay after she lost both her brother and her father to cancer. It was the first time she had attended the event, and it was nearly a year after the disease took her best friend.
“When you’re faced with cancer, you feel helpless. This was one of the ways I felt empowered,” she said. “I thought, ‘What a powerful thing to share with my students. As awful as the death part has been, the journey has been really powerful.”
This year, Portland’s Hannah Friedman, of Portland – a survivor two relapses of Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, numerous chemotherapy and radiation therapy treatments and a stem cell transplant – has been selected by the American Cancer Society to serve as the honorary chairman for the event, and will give a speech on her experience before the first lap.
“Getting involved in something like this is very empowering,” she said. “You are making a difference; you are fighting back.”
For the past three years the entire Friedman family has been involved with the program; Friedman’s son, Tyler and daughter Rachel raised almost $10,000 last year alone. What began as her daughter’s dance team forming a single relay team has become an annual outpouring of support for Friedman and other cancer survivors.
“It’s kind of taken on a life of its own,” Friedman said. “[Tyler and Rachel] have both done some really great things.”
Survivors, caregivers and family members of cancer patients have been forming teams around the country to raise money for cancer cure research and services by participating in their local Relay for Life events since 1985. South Portland Relay for Life Co-chairman Clayton Eames, who lost his mother to cancer, said last year the first-ever South Portland relay raised close to $128,000 for research, education, advocacy and cancer services.
This year Eames said the South Portland program is hoping to raise $135,000, and at least 65 teams have already signed up.
“Teams usually have anywhere from eight to 15 people, and raise as much money as they can,” he said. “It’s open to all; cancer can affect anyone so we’re certainly not going to turn people away.
The all-night event will feature live bands, food, a karaoke contest and – what Eames said is the most moving part of the night for him – a candlelight vigil, or luminaria.
“All the lights are shut off and we line lit tea lights on the track,” he said. “Once you see it you’re like, ‘Whoa!’”
Friedman said she too found the luminaria a powerful tool in realizing the extent to which cancer affects our everyday lives.
“It can be very overwhelming to look at the number of people who are involved,” she said.
“There’s always hope, and there’s always new stuff coming down the road,” Friedman said.
The goal of each team is to have at least one member continuously walking around the track at South Portland High School for the entire night, Eames said.
“Cancer never sleeps, so we’re not going to either,” he said.
The event starts with an opening ceremony and survivors and caregivers start the first lap at 6 p.m. on Friday, June 13 at the South Portland High school track, and will go until 9 a.m. the next morning. Teams do not need to be registered to attend and the event is open to all ages.
Staff Writer
Scarborough resident Katy Foley wasn’t necessarily surprised to find out a large majority of her students at Mahoney Middle School in South Portland knew a family member or friend who had been touched by cancer.
“I think only one student per class didn’t know anyone,” she said. “It’s very prevalent.”
Foley is leading one of the largest registered teams – 45 students, teachers and friends – to participate in this year’s American Cancer Society’s June 13 Relay for Life event at South Portland High School. She has used her ties with Project Reach, a private, nonprofit organization that encourages high-risk students to stay in school, to inspire students to sign up for the event. Together, students at Mahoney and Memorial Middle Schools have already raised almost $1,000 – close to a third of their total goal.
Last year, Foley said she joined a group of friends who participated in the relay after she lost both her brother and her father to cancer. It was the first time she had attended the event, and it was nearly a year after the disease took her best friend.
“When you’re faced with cancer, you feel helpless. This was one of the ways I felt empowered,” she said. “I thought, ‘What a powerful thing to share with my students. As awful as the death part has been, the journey has been really powerful.”
This year, Portland’s Hannah Friedman, of Portland – a survivor two relapses of Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, numerous chemotherapy and radiation therapy treatments and a stem cell transplant – has been selected by the American Cancer Society to serve as the honorary chairman for the event, and will give a speech on her experience before the first lap.
“Getting involved in something like this is very empowering,” she said. “You are making a difference; you are fighting back.”
For the past three years the entire Friedman family has been involved with the program; Friedman’s son, Tyler and daughter Rachel raised almost $10,000 last year alone. What began as her daughter’s dance team forming a single relay team has become an annual outpouring of support for Friedman and other cancer survivors.
“It’s kind of taken on a life of its own,” Friedman said. “[Tyler and Rachel] have both done some really great things.”
Survivors, caregivers and family members of cancer patients have been forming teams around the country to raise money for cancer cure research and services by participating in their local Relay for Life events since 1985. South Portland Relay for Life Co-chairman Clayton Eames, who lost his mother to cancer, said last year the first-ever South Portland relay raised close to $128,000 for research, education, advocacy and cancer services.
This year Eames said the South Portland program is hoping to raise $135,000, and at least 65 teams have already signed up.
“Teams usually have anywhere from eight to 15 people, and raise as much money as they can,” he said. “It’s open to all; cancer can affect anyone so we’re certainly not going to turn people away.
The all-night event will feature live bands, food, a karaoke contest and – what Eames said is the most moving part of the night for him – a candlelight vigil, or luminaria.
“All the lights are shut off and we line lit tea lights on the track,” he said. “Once you see it you’re like, ‘Whoa!’”
Friedman said she too found the luminaria a powerful tool in realizing the extent to which cancer affects our everyday lives.
“It can be very overwhelming to look at the number of people who are involved,” she said.
“There’s always hope, and there’s always new stuff coming down the road,” Friedman said.
The goal of each team is to have at least one member continuously walking around the track at South Portland High School for the entire night, Eames said.
“Cancer never sleeps, so we’re not going to either,” he said.
The event starts with an opening ceremony and survivors and caregivers start the first lap at 6 p.m. on Friday, June 13 at the South Portland High school track, and will go until 9 a.m. the next morning. Teams do not need to be registered to attend and the event is open to all ages.
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