Bowtie and Scarf Monday
Tie One On for the Cause
This Week's Cause: Relay for Life
In more than 5,200 communities and 20 countries, Relay For Life events comprise the signature fundraiser for the American Cancer Society. Each Relay For Life event is special to its community, but the movement's true power lies in the combined commitment of thousands of participants, volunteers, and supporters to help the American Cancer Society save lives from cancer.
At Relay For Life events, communities across the globe come together to honor cancer survivors, remember loved ones lost, and fight back against a disease that has already taken too much. The truly make a difference in the fight against cancer just ask one of the nearly 14 million cancer survivors who will celebrate another birthday this year!
Relay For Life teams camp out overnight and take turns walking or running around a track or path at a local high school, park, or fairground. Events are up to 24 hours long, and because cancer never sleeps, each team is asked to have at least one participant on the track at all times.
Grays Harbor Relay for Life is on Friday, June 3rd at Hoquiam High School at 6:00pm.
Contributions can be made in the office of the Vice President for Student Services (110).
Dr. Gordon Klatt, 1942-2014
Gordon “Gordy” Klatt, M.D., founder of the American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life event passed away August 3, 2014, at the age of 71 from heart failure after battling stomach cancer.
Gordy was one-of-a-kind. He helped shape an idea that started off as one man running and walking a track, and turned it into a global phenomenon for saving lives in every corner of the world.
One person can make a difference. Nowhere is that more evident than the story of Dr. Gordy Klatt and the American Cancer Society Relay For Life event that started in Tacoma, Washington, as the City of Destiny Classic 24-Hour Run Against Cancer in 1985.
In May 1985, Dr. Klatt spent a grueling 24 hours circling the track at Baker Stadium at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma.
Friends, family, and patients watched and supported him as he ran and walked more than 83.6 miles and raised $27,000 through pledges for the fight against cancer. As he circled the track, he thought of how he could get others to take part. He envisioned having teams participate in a 24-hour event to raise money to fight cancer. In 1986, 19 teams were part of the first relay event at the historical Stadium Bowl and raised $33,000.
Gordy's vision has grown into a nationwide event raising nearly $5 billion in fundraising to save lives from cancer. In addition, the American Cancer Society licenses 20 non-governmental cancer organizations in other countries to hold Relay For Life events to battle cancer across the globe.
As Gordy would still say, "Keep up the fight!"