Welcome to the new Relay for Life of Westshore

American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life is a community event held in cities all across the United States. Relay for Life is a fundraising event where 100 percent of the money goes directly to research, programs for patients and caregivers. Fundraising takes place all year long with online donations, fundraising events and participants raising money from friends and family. The Relay is the icing on the cake with this great event. We encourage you to donate online if you are unable to commit to the actual event.

We are excited to announce some changes to our local Relay this year and hope that it will be bigger and better than ever. Our first BIG change is that Relay will no longer be an overnight event. We have learned from years of practice how very hard it is to commit to an overnight event. 

Our Relay this year will be from noon until 11 p.m. on Saturday, May 30. This allows students to be a part of our event without giving up as much time during the busy end of the year school activities. It also frees up weekend time with family that we all know is so valuable in the summer months. 

Another big change for the event is that there is no longer a $10 registration fee to sign up as a participant. This allows people to sign up for their web page and start fundraising without any initial cost. This is a very helpful step for hardworking students who may have been deterred by the cost. 

We also have a new website to incorporate the addition of Avon and Avon Lake to our Relay. Our new website is relayforlife.com/westshore.  This event includes Westlake, Bay Village, Avon and Avon Lake. We are excited to be working with all these wonderful cities and need all the help we can get to put the word out to Avon and Avon Lake. All help is appreciated.

Our Relay will run the same way as always with games, a DJ, food and fun. You can sign up your team on the website or join as an individual. We have also learned that Relay is misperceived to be a “running event” where you or a member of your team must run the entire time – I am here to clarify that this is a walking event, and you may participate as much or as little as you want. The significance of the laps are to show that cancer never sleeps or stops so we try to have at least one person on the track the whole time.

The American Cancer Society has developed an entire Youtube channel dedicated to explaining all the aspects of Relay For Life. Simply go to youtube.com and type in “Relay For Life Learning Videos.” I strongly encourage you to visit the site to hear more about the mission and vision that Relay cherishes.

I return this year as Event Chair and with a leadership team ready and willing to make this event amazing. We are, however, always looking for more enthusiastic people to help us make this event more successful. The more the merrier, and I would like to send out an open invitation to everyone to attend our next meeting on Thursday, Nov. 20, at the Westlake Rec Center in the second floor classroom to become a part of this great team of leaders. We will meet at 6 p.m. and make sure to keep the meeting to an hour. Please join us.

My first articles of the season always seem to go on and on but I promise that the following ones will be shorter and sweet, full of information and sometimes really funny. I will keep you entertained!

If you have read my articles over the years I always try to add a little bit about my dad, the reason I Relay. So many people have been where I have been – watched a parent, family member or friend suffer and then pass from this disease. So I end with a story of a cat that changed my dad’s life by becoming his best friend and caretaker while he was ill. 

His name was Oscar and he took care of my dad. He cried for days after my dad passed. Well, our little friend died this week and he took with him a daily part of my dad that was still with us. You never know how and when things will throw you back to the pain and suffering of the patient and caregiver. I hear a song on the radio, a certain ringtone or a joke and it all comes back. Again, this is why I Relay, so that no other family will have to go through these weird moments of sadness. With your help we can Finish the Fight. Please help me make that happen.

Callout box ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

2015 Westshore Relay for Life

May 30, noon to 11 p.m.

Westlake High School track

relayforlife.com/westshore

Organizational meeting Nov. 20, 6 p.m., at the Westlake Rec Center

Amy Brediger

I am a wife, mother of 2, and a supporter of the Westlake community.

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Volume 6, Issue 23, Posted 9:47 AM, 11.11.2014