|
Relay For Life began in 1985 when Dr. Gordon Klatt, a Tacoma,
Washington surgeon and an American Cancer Society volunteer, ran
and walked for 24 hours to raise money for the ACS. He traveled a
total of 81 miles and raised $27,000 for the fight against cancer.
The following year, 220 supporters on 19 teams joined Dr, Klatt in
this overnight event and the American Cancer Society Relay For
Life was born.
The American Cancer Society adopted Relay For Life as their
Signature Event in 1994. In the last 20 years, the Relay for Life
has spread to over 4,000 communities in the United States. Nearly 3 million participants
raised $246 million to fund the American
Cancer Society's mission in 2004.
It was projected that during 2004, the cumulative total raised by
Relay For Life will exceed $1 billion, to invest in cancer
research, advocacy, education and patient service programs.
(Where do donations go?)
Locally, the
Relay For Life of Cheshire has broken records for funds
raised and the number of participants for our local Community.
Here is an overview of the
past 12 years.
2008
$ 411,475
2007
$ 476,644
2006
$ 579,873
2005
$ 532,287
2004
$ 506,898
2003
$ 493,937
2002
$ 546,000
2001
$ 526,000
2000
$ 532,000
1999
$ 506,000
1998
$ 380,000
1997
$ 158,000
Total:
$ 5,649,114
For 2005
Ranked #2 in Connecticut
Ranked #3 in New England
In the Top 25 Nationwide since 1999
Several thousand cancer survivors, their families, and friends
come to a special luminary candle lighting service designed to
honor and remember people who have been struck by cancer.
Thousands of luminary bags line the Cheshire High School track,
guiding the walkers/runners through the night.
|
|
Relay Contributions
at Work:
The money raised has played a key role in ACS accomplishments such
as:
-
Awarding more than $2.5 billion in grants for promising cancer
research since 1946.
-
Funding 32 Nobel Prize-winning researchers
-
Investing in studies that led to discoveries like the Pap test,
bone marrow transplants, Tamoxifen, and Gleevec.
-
Supplying valuable resources to anyone, anytime, through a
toll-free information line, 1-800-ACS-2345, and Web site
www.cancer.org.
-
Working with legislators to make sure that cancer issues are
addressed in a timely manner with the attention and funding they
need.
-
Campaigning for important legislative victories like the Breast
Cancer and Cervical Cancer Treatment Act and expanded Medicare
benefits for cancer screenings.
-
Offering patients support and a network of other cancer
survivors in their communities through programs like 'Man to
Man' and 'Reach to Recovery'.
-
Providing tools and programs, such as Look Good...Feel Better,
for patients and survivors dealing with the physical effects of
the disease.
Your contributions are the reason the American Cancer Society has
been able to do so much in the fight against this disease.
|