Abbreviated Relay For Life to be held May 31
Organizers with the Franklin County Relay For Life have chosen Tuesday, May 31, for this year’s “Abbreviated” Relay For Life.
The event, which was originally scheduled for May 6, was postponed due to the tragic tornado outbreak that swept through the county on April 27 because organizers like Lynn Suddith, who is a member of the Franklin County Relay For Life committee, felt this would be the best decision.
“So many people in our county were hurting right then, and it almost seemed disrespectful to go on with the event,” Suddith said. “At first we thought it might be a needed diversion from everything that was going on, but we ultimately decided against it.”
Suddith said many people on the Relay teams and on the Relay committee were involved with relief efforts, so continuing with the event would have hindered their volunteer work.
“So many of us were working with our church groups or individually to provide assistance to the tornado victims,” Suddith said. “We just hated to take away from that, too.”
Suddith said organizers settled on May 31 because they didn’t want too much time to pass before the event was rescheduled.
“The Relay teams have worked so hard this year and we wanted to make sure we didn’t let it pass by,” Suddith said.
Becky Walker, Relay Advisory Team Chair for the Mid-South Division of the American Cancer Society, agreed that the community must press on to help victims of a different kind: cancer patients and survivors.
“The recent devastation as a result of tornadoes and other weather events across the South has affected all of us in some way,” Walker said. “Meanwhile, cancer patients continue to receive treatment and cancer diagnoses continue to take place in these same communities.
“While schools are closed, shelters are open, and immediate living needs are being met by other community organizations, the American Cancer Society continues to meet the needs of cancer patients,” Walker added. “The truth is that while other organizations are uniquely suited to meeting immediate needs for victims of disasters, the American Cancer Society is uniquely suited to meet the needs of cancer patients and continue the fight against cancer during good times and bad.”
Walker said the Relay For Life event plays an important role in that fight because it gives community members a way to come together and support one another.
“We must not waiver in our commitment to eliminating cancer, and raising money to fund the fight through Relay For Life events,” Walker said.
Belinda Johnson, a local cancer survivor, serves as the chair of the Franklin County Relay For Life committee and she said the event is important to those affected by cancer.
“Every time we have the Relay For Life we honor the cancer survivors and celebrate with them because it’s always an accomplishment to make that next year,” Johnson said. “The luminary service is also important to remember the ones we’ve lost.
“Even though we have had this terrible disaster in our community, we still want to celebrate and honor those who have battled cancer because cancer never stops.”
Suddith said the Bank Night normally held the night before the Relay will take place on Tuesday, May 17, at 6 p.m. at CB&S Bank next to McDonald’s. Team captains should bring all the money raised by their team members to be counted at that time.
On the 31st, the Relay For Life will still begin at 7:00 with the Survivor’s Walk followed by the presentation of several awards and some entertainment. The luminary service will take place as soon as it gets dark and this will conclude the event.
Suddith also added that since the Relay is abbreviated, teams will not set up campsites at the stadium like they normally do.
“We hope the community will still come out and remind these survivors how many people care about them and support them,” Suddith said. “We also hope the community will support the people who have lost loved ones to cancer because those luminaries represent someone’s mother, father or child and we should all be there to support one another.”
