Residents celebrate Live Strong Day

By Staff
Rebecca James, Franklin County Times
Employees at Southern Rural Health Care and Russellville Hospital released balloons to celebrate Live Strong Alabama Wednesday.
The release was to honor those who have won their war with cancer and those who lost the battle.
The two balloon releases coincided with the Live Strong Alabama celebration at Wilson Park in Florence on Wednesday.
"We heard about the event that they were having in Wilson Park on the radio," said breast cancer survivor Mary Bowling. "We called about it and found out about it from the radio station. We decided to do this to coincide with the balloon release in Wilson Park."
Bowling was diagnosed with breast cancer in December of 2006 and is currently taking treatments.
"Breast cancer is a beatable disease, but one in every eight women are diagnosed with breast cancer," Bowling said.
Russellville Hospital decided at the last minute to participate in the event because several employees at Russellville Hospital are cancer survivors, Belinda Johnson, cancer survivor, said.
"Several of our employees have fought their own personal battle with the disease, but many others have been impacted by cancer either by a family member, friend or a patient," Johnson said.
Southern Rural Health Care employees were encouraged to wear yellow in support of the Live Stong Foundation, which was founded by seven time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong, who is a seven-year cancer survivor.