Newspapers / University of North Carolina … / March 23, 2011, edition 1 / Page 6
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6 I The Blue Banner I 3.23.2011 Arts & Features I Hali Ledford - Arts and Features Editor This year's Relay For Life of Asheville will be held June 3 at A.C. Reynolds high school. Asheville gears up for local Relay Justine Travis jdtravis@unca.edu - Staff Wrifer T he doctor told Bonnie Gundlach three words she never wanted to hear. “You have cancer.” Twenty-four years later, she is a survior and a volunteer with Relay For Life. “This will be my third year as a volunteer for Relay For Life, and I have seen firsthand the tremendous impact that this organization can make for people who have been touched by cancer,” the survivor said. Ruth Mullens, chairperson and team captain of Relay For Life’s Asheville-based team, Party Animals, said she has been in volved with Relay For Life for 15 years. “Relay For Life is a grassroots, not-for-prof it event done by people in our communities,” the chairperson said. “A lot of the money that we raise is used in our local area.” Mullens explained what happens before and during a Relay For Life event. “This year’s event will be June 3 at A.C. Reynolds high school. People form teams prior to the event and raise money. During the event, each team has someone walking the track at all times, from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. We do this through the night because we say cancer never sleeps. This is our way of showing sup port,” Mullens said. The chairperson also revealed this year’s theme for the event, the Relay Olympics. “We are asking each team to choose a coun try to represent. We chose this theme because we want to focus on carrying the torch of hope around the world,” Mullens said. Gundlach said fundraising has its obvious benefits, but finding a cure for cancer and gen erating awareness are the primary goals of Re lay For Life. “More and more people on this planet are being touched by cancer each day, and we have to rely on each other to make a differ ence,” Gundlach said. Gundlach also said there are breakthroughs every day. “Recently in the news, there was a story about a blood test that can find one cancer cell among millions and millions of healthy cells. That was cool to see. I think it dealt with breast cancer specifically, but it’s amazing what they’re finding every day,” Gundlach said. According to Mullens, it’s not top late to form a new team for the June event. “All of our information for getting started is on our website. Registration is $10 per per son. We would love to have teams from UNC Asheville,” Mullens said. “We want to get even more young people involved with this because we think they bring the enthusiasm and energy we need to Relay.” Nancy Caine, community manager with the American Cancer Society and staff partner for three Relay For Life events in the area, said her experience with the non profit has hit very close to home. “I have worked for the American Cancer Society for five-and-a-half years, but last May my brother was diagnosed with cancer, right before the Relay For Life event in Asheville,” Caine said. “It was really hard after working with the American Cancer Society for several years, and then being thmst into the caregiver side of it all. It’s been really tough. After so many talks with other volunteers about, ‘Why do you Relay?’ and hearing their stories, now I have a very personal story of my own.” Caine said Relay For Life is gratifying. “There is an enormous sense of hope, espe cially when you see the opening survivor lap. All of the survivors who are celebrating their lives, some of whom are pretty sure they have conquered cancer, and the other ones who are pretty sure cancer is going to get them, they are all walking, still hopeful.” Photo courtesy of Bonnie Gundlach A cancer swmors reason to Relajr By Bonnie Gundlach I’m Bonnie Gundlach and I prefer to think of myself as a can cer thriven Thriving implies, for all of us, that how we are comes from our hearts, souls and full sense of our being - and I believe that’s how we are. All of us thrivers share the common bond of having heard the words, “You have cancer.” Devastating as that sounds at first, after the initial shock wears off and a plan for healing is in place, those words can send you on the most incredible journey through humanity that you will ever experience. And (it) can give you gifts you never would imagine receiving. That has certainly been true for me. I had a malignant melanoma in 1987, breast cancer mixed with skin lymphoma in 2008 and another cutaneous lymphoma in early 2009. Through all of it, I learned the most incredible lessonsoflove,support andbealing. ■ Much of it came through my friends and family, but more and more continues to come through people that were strang ers to me just two-and-a-half years ago and are now friends, and through my experiences and relationships with the Ameri can Cancer Society and Relay For Life. Firsthand, I found that Relay For Life was an amazing event. I felt so strongly that I wanted to give back to all those who had supported me during my cancer journey that when asked to volunteer, I said yes without question. It was one thing to help set up and get things ready for the actual event, but working the survivor tent and meeting so many unbelievable thrivers was something I did not expect. You know, they come in all shapes and sizes, all ages and from all walks of life. Cancer really does not care who it chooses. There are no prejudices there. I saw people on oxygen, people in wheel chairs and people without hair undergoing chemotherapy. I saw children, children who are blindly optimistic because life has not yet brought them the adversities that we, as adults, know. I can tell you this. All the thrivers I have come across at Relay have one huge thing in common: an incredible attitude toward life and living. I was fortunate enough to be one of the folks invited to carry the banner during the survivor lap. I can not tell you how moving it was been to have people cheering for you just because you are alive. And that’s what Relay is all about. The money raised supports life and healing for those of us who have already been touched by cancer and, more impor tantly, for those who have yet to be touched. I love the email poster which shows a young girl, maybe 10 months old which says, “Let’s find a cure for breast cancer before I grow boobs.” I think we should find a cure for all cancers before she grows boobs. Relay For Life is the American Cancer Society’s premier fundraising event. The more we all know about it, the more heartfelt and per sonal we can be in doing our part to ensure those dollars can be put to use in research for the cure. This is a celebration of survivorship and early detection and, most importantly, a celebration of life. That’s why I’m involved. Now, it’s your turn.
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