Sixth Annual Relay for Life takes to the field May 11-12

The Sixth Annual Lincoln County American Cancer Society (ACS) Relay for Life will take place Friday and Saturday, May 11 and 12, from 7 p.m. until 7 a.m. at the Curry Colvin Recreation Complex. Pictured during a recent planning session are: (l-r) Danielle Caldwell, ACS community manager; Brenda Danner; Virginia Williams; Summer Garrison, mission delivery manager for the ACS; and Dena Gibson, vice chairman of the Lincoln County relay.

Preparations have begun in earnest for the Sixth Annual Lincoln County American Cancer Society (ACS) Relay for Life.

The community celebration will take place Friday and Saturday, May 11 and 12, from 7 p.m. until 7 a.m. at the Curry Colvin Recreation Complex.

This year's relay is being held in memory of Mildred Dean Brown, a staunch supporter of the ACS, who passed away on August 1, 2006, following a lengthy battle against cancer.

The theme for the relay is "Cancer Never Sleeps."

During the night, teams consisting of from eight to 15 people will have at least one of their members walking around the track at all times to show support for the ACS and its mission to eliminate cancer as a major health problem.

At the present time, 12 teams have signed up to take part in the event. However, there is always room for more. Do not underestimate what a small group of dedicated people can do. Call Carrie Parker at 706-359- 3004 and enter a team in the relay today.

The deadline for team registration is Monday, April 2. A team captain's meeting is set for 6 p.m. that day at The Lincoln Center.

The executive committee for the 2007 Lincoln County ACS Relay for Life is comprised of:

.. Judy Jordan - Chairman. .. Dena Gibson - Vice Chairman.

.. Brenda Danner - Sponsorship.

.. Carrie Parker - Luminaries and Team Recruitment.

.. Virginia Williams - Survivorship.

.. Renee Guthrie - Accounting.

.. Stella Crosby - Ms. Relay and Entertainment/Spirit.

.. Carole Shirley - Kick-off Planning.

Moreover, Brittany Dandron, a student at LCES, will serve as the honorary chairman of the relay. Dandron was diagnosed with colon cancer as a small child.

Local residents are reminded that one of the highlights of each relay actually takes place prior to the allnight event. Scheduled for Friday, May 4, the dinner honoring cancer survivors and caregivers is always a meaningful time of camaraderie, fun, and inspiration.

The banquet is set to begin at 6 p.m. at The Lincoln Center.

According to Virginia Williams, who is in charge of survivorship, "A person becomes a cancer survivor the minute he is diagnosed with the disease. We encourage all survivors and caregivers to attend the dinner and be a part of what promises to be one of the best relays ever."

For more information about the special activities planned for cancer survivors, contact Williams at 706- 359-1879 or 706-359-6126.

Then, during the actual relay, participants and the community at large can enjoy:

.. Delicious, mouth-watering food, such as barbecued chicken, hamburgers, all sorts of baked goods, fried apple pies, hot chili, and popcorn.

.. Great entertainment including a dunking booth; music performed by the Cox Trio and other groups; a photo contest, sponsored by Koehler Galleries; a "tattoo parlor;" face painting; and of course, the annual Ms. Relay Pageant.

The reigning Ms. Relay 2006 is Miss Melissa McClendon a/k/a Stacey McClendon. The first runnerup at last year's pageant was Miss Judy Gibson a/k/a Jody Gibson.

.. Survivors' Victory Lap - Cancer survivors, young and old, will walk the opening lap of the relay thereby giving the community a chance to applaud these individuals for their strength and courage. In essence, the victory lap is an affirmation of life.

.. Caregivers and members of the clergy, who provide spiritual support to those with cancer, are recognized.

.. Luminary Ceremony - The lighting of these special candles, placed in weighted bags, will give those present the opportunity to celebrate the lives of those who have survived cancer and to pay tribute to those who have been lost to the disease.

Each luminary will be lit either in honor of someone who has survived cancer or in memory of a loved one who lost the fight against cancer. The names of the individuals will be prominently displayed on the bags.

Luminaries may be purchased by contacting Carrie Parker at the number listed above.

.. Recognition of the corporate and individual sponsors - The sponsorship categories are as follows: Silver, $250; Gold, $500; Platinum, $1,000. The sponsors at these levels will have their names printed on the back of the Lincoln County relay T-shirts.

Businesses or individuals operating on tighter budgets may have their names printed on tote bags that will be presented to the cancer survivors for a $100 donation.

To become a Relay for Life sponsor, contact Brenda Danner at 706- 359-5536 or 706-359-6712.

The funds raised during the relay will go toward furthering the ACS's mission to eliminate cancer through research, prevention, and early detection programs. The annual event represents the hope that those lost to cancer will never be forgotten, that those who face cancer will be supported, and that, one day, cancer will be eliminated.

The first ACS Relay for Life was held in Tacoma, Washington, in the mid-1980s. The ACS's signature event was born when Dr. Gordy Klatt, a colorectal surgeon, decided to do something he enjoyed - running marathons- to enhance the income of his local ACS office.

In May of 1985, the surgeon spent a grueling 24 hours circling the track at Baker Stadium at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma for more than 83 miles. Throughout the night, friends paid $25 to run or walk with him for 30 minutes, raising $27,000 to fight cancer.

Months later, Dr. Klatt pulled together a small committee to plan the first team relay event known as the City of Destiny Classic 24-Hour Run Against Cancer. Nineteen teams took part in the relay.

The event is currently held in nearly 3,400 communities nationwide and raises more than $1 billion each year for cancer research, education, advocacy, and patient services programs.

For more information about the 2007 Lincoln County ACS Relay for Life, contact Judy Jordan at 706-359- 5988, Dena Gibson at 706-359-5589 or 706-359-5502, or ACS community manager Danielle Caldwell toll free at 1-866-227-0904.

Some of the milestones in the history of the ACS include:

.. 1946 to the present - The society has funded the work of 40 Nobel Prize winners, primarily in the beginning of their careers.

.. 1946 to 1993 - Smokers drop from 45 percent of the population to 25 percent.

.. 1959 - The ACS launches the first cancer prevention study. Data from this study and the subsequent 1982 study has been used in more than 100 other research studies.

.. 1960 - The society begins a crusade to gain acceptance of the Pap test. The death rate from cancer of the cervix has decreased more than 70 percent due to the general acceptance of this procedure.

Also, in 1960, the ACS takes a leading role in challenging and eliminating tobacco advertising.

.. 1969 - The society launches the Reach to Recovery program through which trained breast cancer survivors offer hope and help women face the disease.

.. 1970s - The society invests more than $1 million to demonstrate that mammography is the best tool for the early detection of breast cancer.

.. 1976 - The California Division of the ACS gets nearly one million smokers to quit for the day, marking the first Great American Smokeout.

.. 1980 - Early detection guide- lines for breast cancer are developed by the ACS.

.. 1981 - Cancer camps for children open.

.. 1992-98 - The ACS spends over $100 million on breast cancer research.

.. 1994 - The society's Man to Man program begins, offering support and information to men with prostate cancer.

.. 1996 - Society guidelines on diet, nutrition, and cancer affirm that one-third of all cancer deaths can be prevented through healthy eating and physical activity.

.. 1997 - The first overall downturn in cancer mortality rates is docuin mented. Overall, cancer death rates fell 1.6 percent between 1991 and 1995.

.. 1998 - The five-year relative survival rate improves to 58 percent. In 1960, it was 37 percent for men and 39 percent for women.

.. 2001 - The ACS launches a new and improved website: .

.. 2003 - ACS researchers, led by Dr. Eugenia Calle, conclude that being overweight or obese contributes to most types of cancer and could account for 14 percent of cancer deaths in men and 20 percent in women - an average of one out of every six cancers diagnosed.