Relay For Life sets goal of $158,000; to hold annual kick-off event tonight
NORWICH – Relay For Life of Chenango County will hold its annual kick-off event from 5:30 to 7 tonight – with an informational meeting scheduled for 6 to 6:30 – in the Morrisville State College Norwich Campus Community room, 20 Conkey Ave.
All are welcome to attend, including potential team captains or members, survivors or sponsors, as the local Relay committee welcomes back its veteran teams and celebrates any new teams that will join in the fight against cancer this year.
Said Relay For Life of Chenango County event chair Marie DeSarro, “This is our way of kicking-off the 2013 Relay For Life season,” which brings hundreds of cancer survivors, their families and friends together year after year. This year, added DeSarro, will mark the 17th annual Relay For Life, which will take place July 19 and 20 at the Chenango County Fairgrounds.
Locally, Relay For Life has continued to grow and to succeed, according to DeSarro, due primarily to the fact that more and more people are touched by cancer in some way, shape or form. And living in a small community such as Chenango County, said DeSarro, makes it that much more likely that one’s life will be impacted by the awful disease.
“We’re a very tight-knit community, and regardless of where we’re all at financially, we pull together to help those in need,” she added. “It helps that every year we have new teams bringing new life to the event. We try to shake things up by having new activities and different special guests, but the teams are the true life of the event. They have really started to get into the themes that we pick each year and participate in all of the nightly activities. Their creativity and enthusiasm is what keeps this event alive each year.”
Last year’s Relay For Life surpassed its goal of $155,000, noted DeSarro, who said she and her fellow committee members are confident that this year’s goal of $158,000 can also be met. And that should come as no surprise, she added, as many first-time participants are eager to return, calling the experience an “extremely positive” one.
“Until you take part or even just come down to the fairgrounds, you don’t understand the true electricity and power of what we’re trying to do,” said DeSarro. “We’re part of an even bigger picture; not only does the money we raise help local Chenango County families in many ways, we also help to fund research and education that helps our neighbors all over the country and the world. To hear about some of the advances in these areas, it makes you think, ‘I helped with that. I’m making a difference.’”
DeSarro urged anyone who’s been touched by cancer – whether a survivor, caregiver, family member, co-worker or friend – to consider joining or starting a team. The best way to do so, she said, is to visit the local Relay’s website,
relayforlife.org/chenangocountyny, or simply come down to tonight’s kick-off event and sign up. Over the next few months, she added, teams tend to get creative, holding fundraisers, writing letters or e-mails encouraging support and collecting donations. Setting goals, said DeSarro, is also important, and participants are encouraged to try and raise at least $100 per person.
“Set a goal for your team,” she added. “Hold team meetings to get yourselves organized and put together fundraisers. Form a bond that will help you and your team reach your goals.”
Jan Bassett, team captain for Nancy’s Corner – just one of many Relay teams here in Chenango County – said it’s important to “stay strong in the belief we can reach the ultimate goal of finding a cure,” and called the event one way to “remember loved ones lost and to honor those still fighting.”
Added Bassett, “It’s my way to contribute when there is nothing else I can do. If you have family or friends who have, or have had, cancer, or are a survivor yourself, that’s reason enough to join or start a Relay For Life team. The time and effort you give is more than worth it. Relay is an emotional and humbling experience.”
For Jo Ann Winsor, a long-time committee member and member of the DCMO BOCES Class Act team, Relay represents a sense of community and purpose that’s sorely needed in the fight against cancer.
“I would encourage cancer survivors and their families and friends to attend for that very reason,” she added. “This is another reason Relay of Chenango County continues to grow, not that there are more individuals afflicted, but those that are feel this is an event that they can attend and be validated for what they are experiencing and be surrounded by those that understand and support them.”
Both Bassett and Winsor attributed much of the local Relay’s success to its leadership and the committee as a whole. According to Winsor, DeSarro has elevated Relay For Life of Chenango County to “a new level,” noting that – for several years, now – the committee has exceeded its financial goals.
She added, “Marie does this by using her natural ability to motivate people, which translates to a strong, cohesive team of volunteers who are committed to the cause.”
For more information on Relay For Life of Chenango County visit relayforlife.org/chenangocountyny or contact DeSarro at 316-0763 or via e-mail at Relay.Chenango@gmail.com.
All are welcome to attend, including potential team captains or members, survivors or sponsors, as the local Relay committee welcomes back its veteran teams and celebrates any new teams that will join in the fight against cancer this year.
Said Relay For Life of Chenango County event chair Marie DeSarro, “This is our way of kicking-off the 2013 Relay For Life season,” which brings hundreds of cancer survivors, their families and friends together year after year. This year, added DeSarro, will mark the 17th annual Relay For Life, which will take place July 19 and 20 at the Chenango County Fairgrounds.
Locally, Relay For Life has continued to grow and to succeed, according to DeSarro, due primarily to the fact that more and more people are touched by cancer in some way, shape or form. And living in a small community such as Chenango County, said DeSarro, makes it that much more likely that one’s life will be impacted by the awful disease.
“We’re a very tight-knit community, and regardless of where we’re all at financially, we pull together to help those in need,” she added. “It helps that every year we have new teams bringing new life to the event. We try to shake things up by having new activities and different special guests, but the teams are the true life of the event. They have really started to get into the themes that we pick each year and participate in all of the nightly activities. Their creativity and enthusiasm is what keeps this event alive each year.”
Last year’s Relay For Life surpassed its goal of $155,000, noted DeSarro, who said she and her fellow committee members are confident that this year’s goal of $158,000 can also be met. And that should come as no surprise, she added, as many first-time participants are eager to return, calling the experience an “extremely positive” one.
“Until you take part or even just come down to the fairgrounds, you don’t understand the true electricity and power of what we’re trying to do,” said DeSarro. “We’re part of an even bigger picture; not only does the money we raise help local Chenango County families in many ways, we also help to fund research and education that helps our neighbors all over the country and the world. To hear about some of the advances in these areas, it makes you think, ‘I helped with that. I’m making a difference.’”
DeSarro urged anyone who’s been touched by cancer – whether a survivor, caregiver, family member, co-worker or friend – to consider joining or starting a team. The best way to do so, she said, is to visit the local Relay’s website,
relayforlife.org/chenangocountyny, or simply come down to tonight’s kick-off event and sign up. Over the next few months, she added, teams tend to get creative, holding fundraisers, writing letters or e-mails encouraging support and collecting donations. Setting goals, said DeSarro, is also important, and participants are encouraged to try and raise at least $100 per person.
“Set a goal for your team,” she added. “Hold team meetings to get yourselves organized and put together fundraisers. Form a bond that will help you and your team reach your goals.”
Jan Bassett, team captain for Nancy’s Corner – just one of many Relay teams here in Chenango County – said it’s important to “stay strong in the belief we can reach the ultimate goal of finding a cure,” and called the event one way to “remember loved ones lost and to honor those still fighting.”
Added Bassett, “It’s my way to contribute when there is nothing else I can do. If you have family or friends who have, or have had, cancer, or are a survivor yourself, that’s reason enough to join or start a Relay For Life team. The time and effort you give is more than worth it. Relay is an emotional and humbling experience.”
For Jo Ann Winsor, a long-time committee member and member of the DCMO BOCES Class Act team, Relay represents a sense of community and purpose that’s sorely needed in the fight against cancer.
“I would encourage cancer survivors and their families and friends to attend for that very reason,” she added. “This is another reason Relay of Chenango County continues to grow, not that there are more individuals afflicted, but those that are feel this is an event that they can attend and be validated for what they are experiencing and be surrounded by those that understand and support them.”
Both Bassett and Winsor attributed much of the local Relay’s success to its leadership and the committee as a whole. According to Winsor, DeSarro has elevated Relay For Life of Chenango County to “a new level,” noting that – for several years, now – the committee has exceeded its financial goals.
She added, “Marie does this by using her natural ability to motivate people, which translates to a strong, cohesive team of volunteers who are committed to the cause.”
For more information on Relay For Life of Chenango County visit relayforlife.org/chenangocountyny or contact DeSarro at 316-0763 or via e-mail at Relay.Chenango@gmail.com.
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