To the Editor:

I would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who helped make our 2022 American Cancer Society Relay For Life Event an amazing success. Thank you to all of our sponsors, supporters, teams, presenting sponsor Wood County Hospital and Wood County Fairgrounds. We owe a special thanks to the Wood County Fair Foundation. Due to a scheduling conflict, we thought we might have to cancel our event at the last minute, but thanks to a quick-thinking committee member and the fair foundation, we were able to secure the pavilion just days before our event and it turned out to be a fantastic venue. We exceeded our goal of $50,000.

Our event was held on May 21 . This was our first full relay since the pandemic and we were a little hesitant about how things would go. American Cancer Society Relay For Life is not a “Relay” in the way most people think, although it is in a way a race — a race against cancer. Teams get together to raise funds to fight cancer and support research, education, transportation and lodging of cancer patients during treatments. Finding a cure for cancer is the main goal but until then, the society is here to help any cancer patient and their family through the terrible diagnosis of cancer.

At our event, teams raise funds by playing games and having raffles, auctions, food booths, Kids Power Hour, craft sales, inflatables and crazy competitions. We have a festival/carnival atmosphere so you never know what’s going to happen next, it’s just going to be fun.

At the end of our event, we have a luminaria ceremony, honoring and remembering those we have lost to cancer, those who are fighting cancer now and those who have survived. This is a very moving ending. It reminds everyone why we hold events like this and how cancer has touched all of our lives.

For more information about Relay for Life next year, contact Brian Gibson at [email protected]. For more information about the American Cancer Society, call 800-227-2345 or visit cancer.org.

Sue Mannin (26 year survivor)

Weston

Event Leadership Committee Volunteer