Relay For Life raises money for cancer research

SUPERIOR - Area residents gathered at the Superior High School track Friday night to honor lives lost in the fight against cancer and those who have survived or are currently fighting the battle.

Approximately 30 people from four teams took part in the Relay For Life event that included a somber remembrance of area residents lost to cancer and a celebration with survivors.

For one of the organizers, she said the event touched her in a very serious way as she was recently diagnosed with cancer. Debra Mathews said her physician discovered a mass and she is expecting to start treatment in the coming months.

“I wanted to do something for the community,” Mathews said. “And I have it (cancer). They found it just a few months ago so I’m getting ready to start everything. It was actually after I started to get involved with the relay. Now I think of it as a godsend because I’ve got all these sisters and brothers here who have gone through it and I can talk to them and know what to expect.”

Two cancer survivors participating in the relay said events like this were important not only for them but for everyone affected by cancer. Cheecowah Jack said the Relay For Life was as much for survivors as it was for caregivers and family members.

“I am still surviving,” Jack said. “I think this is important for everyone to come out and support this event. It’s about everyone who survives and those that have stood at their sides. This is also about the caregivers who have supported us.”

Amanda Gramata said one of the reasons she chose to participate was to demonstrate to her family and herself that cancer will not define her life. Gramata said while she may be on medication for the rest of her life, she said she would continue to fight the disease.

“It’s very emotional to see people rally around me,” Gramata said. “I’m not going let it get me down. I’m going to keep going and get through it.”

Relay For Life co-organizer Peggy Temple, who has been working on the event for over a decade, said she was looking forward to the day when it was no longer necessary.

“We would love to be out of a job,” Temple said. “We hope for the day when we don’t need to do this but we are here until then. This really does bring people together as a community. It would be hard to find someone who hasn’t been touched by cancer at some point. It’s a family thing and we’ve all got the same goal: to get rid of cancer.”

The Relay For Life in Superior featured kid’s games, food and musical entertainment while teams walked the track surrounding the football field. While numbers of teams were down from previous years, organizers said they still considered the event a success.

Relay For Life was created in May 1985 by Dr. Gordon Klatt in Tacoma, WA. Klatt decided to raise money by walking for 24 straight hours as friends paid $25 to walk with him. According to the American Cancer Society, Relays For Life have raised over $5 billion to date.

Five thousand events are held annually in 22 countries. It is the ACS’s most successful fundraising activity. Currently, 4 million people take part in over 5,000 communities in the U.S. annually.