— Sleepy volunteers carry-on the fight —
Relay for Life raises $78,000
for cancer research

TOP: Survivors of cancer and their families walk the Survivor's Lap during the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life event on Friday. BOTTOM: Beverly Crowe gets a hug from a friend on Friday night during the Relay for Life event at the Gallup Sports Complex. [photo by Brian Leddy / Independent]

By Karen Francis
Diné Bureau

GALLUP — “Cancer never sleeps, so we’re not going to,” Beverly Crowe, a cancer survivor, said Friday evening as activities for Gallup’s annual Relay For Life began.

The overnight fundraiser and celebration held at the Gallup Sports Complex brought together 76 cancer survivors and raised more than $78,000 for the American Cancer Society.

Joining the pink-shirted survivors were hundreds of family members and supporters who took part in the all-night event, which had the Wizard of Oz-inspired theme “There’s No Place Like Hope.”

“During their lifetime 1 in 2 men, 1 in 3 women are likely to have cancer. That’s a horrid number and we want to work hard to get rid of it. We don’t want cancer in our lifetime anymore,” Linda Shelton, event chair for Gallup’s Relay, said.

The Relay is held at locations nationwide to raise awareness about cancer, celebrate survivors of cancer, remember those who lost the fight against the disease and raise funds for research, service, and advocacy. While teams raise money yearlong, the Relay is the culmination of the fundraising efforts. Twenty-six teams joined in this year’s Relay, Shelton said.

“It is wonderful to see so many people,” Shelton said during the opening ceremony.

Tents and recreational vehicles were set up all over the complex with members of each team walking and activities taking place throughout the night.

While the $78,000 raised on Friday night fell short of the goal of $100,000, it is still an increase of $5,000 of the total raised last year.

This is the ninth year the local Relay has been held, and it has continued to grow throughout the years, said Crowe, a board member for the event.

Crowe has been participating in the Relay for eight years. Her team, called Crowe’s Crew, has been working all year to raise money for cancer research through activities including holiday candle sales, a co-ed softball tournament and “Cutting for a Cure,” discounted haircuts at participating local salons.

The benefit for Crowe in helping to raise money is “just knowing that you’re fighting cancer.”

Crowe said she didn’t train for the Relay because she only has to walk an hour at a time, but “in the middle of the night it gets tiring.” Helping her to stay awake were the activities planned throughout the night to the end of the event on Saturday morning at 8:30.

Phyllis King was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2006 and has been finding support at the Relay For Life ever since.
“It’s healing,” she said. “You know you’re surviving. It seems like it makes it easier. You know that there are people out there that care.”

King added that the Relay gives survivors hope.

Her favorite activity for the Relay every year is the luminaria ceremony. It is difficult to explain what it means to her as a survivor, she said.

“That one is the healing part. It makes you know you’re still here,” she said.

For Elizabeth Higgins, it was her first time at a Relay For Life event. She traveled from Wichita, Kan., to show support for her daughter, who is a cancer survivor of 15 years and lives in Gallup.

Though it was her first attempt at the Relay, Higgins said enthusiastically, “I walk regularly so I’m ready.”

She added, “It’s something that the community can really look to with pride that there’s this kind of support.”

Teresa Vinson was at the Relay with numerous family members in support of one of their family members who is a cancer survivor.

“We didn’t think anyone in our family would have cancer,” Vinson said. “It makes you think about life.”

Now she and her family are planning to form a team for next year’s Relay.

The Relay began with an opening ceremony at 6:30 p.m., Friday, where each of the cancer survivors was recognized and a blessing was made for them. The Mr. Relay Contest, a popular event where men dress as women and collect donations, and the purse auction were held later in the evening. Also Friday night, the Celebrate, Remember and Fight Back Rally took place where flags were available for participants to take to commit to saving one life this year in the fight against cancer.

Luminarias honoring cancer survivors or in memory of those who lost their fight lit up the night when all the lights in the complex were shut off and a message that said “Cure” was also lit.