The Oneida Daily Dispatch (Oneida, NY)
Madison County gearing up for annual event
29 teams so far; organizers hoping for 50
Participants and organizers held their kick off meeting for the Madison County Relay, set for May 30-31.
ONEIDA >> It might be hard to imagine sleeping out under the stars or walking in the sunshine, but organizers of the 2015 Madison County Relay for Life tried to warm up team captains and volunteers Wednesday night as they held the kickoff meeting at the Costello Transportation Center.
The theme of this year’s Relay is “Cowboy Up,” and event organizers added that when things get tough, cowboys get back up, dust themselves off and keep trying.
Formany cancer survivors, this is a message of hope that helps them endure as they battle cancer and Relay is designed to keep them on their feet, focused on positive things to come.
Co-chairperson Jennifer Armlin is a Relay veteran. She started as a team captain for the Seneca Street Elementary School several years ago and more recently, in addition to her leadership role with the Relay, became team captain for “Grandpa’s Girls” - a team dedicated to preserving the memory or Armlin’s grandparents who were stricken with cancer.
“Everyone in this room tonight has a connection to someone who has been afflicted with cancer,” Armlin said. She then told how the disease even hit her more personally just after the close of the 2014 Relay when her husband, Dean, was diagnosed with cancer. Together they fought the disease with rigorous treatments.
One by one, team captains and volunteers shared stories of why they participate in Relay. Some are survivors; some are caregivers who gave love and assistance to someone battling this disease. Others participate in Relay in honor of someonewho affected their life in a positive way.
Co-Captain Jackie Smyth shared her painful memories of one year ago this Valentine’s Day, when her mother lost her battle with cancer. Just a few months after her loss, Smyth had organized a successful team dedicated to raising funds and awareness to fight the disease. “I Relay in honor of my mother, but I also Relay for my children’s future as well,” she said.
Armlin noted that 2014 was a good year for the Madison County Relay. According to the American Cancer Society the Madison Country Relay raised over $103,000. That contributed to the combined fundraising efforts totaling $2.3million for all of all of the Relay for Life events in the Central New York region which encompasses communities as far north as St. Lawrence County, east to Herkimer, west to Cayuga County and south to the Pennsylvania border. Over $310 million was raised nationally through roughly 5,000 individual community Relays.
Giving the team captains their charges for 2015, organizers reminded teams that Relay is not a race. A common misconception that of people who have not participated in Relay in the past is that it is a 5Kor 10K race. “It is not a race. It is symbolic of a 24-hour day in the life of someone who has a lifethreatening disease,” Armlin said.
According to Amy Kotwica of the American Cancer Society, the goals for the 2015Madison County Relay are focused on survivors, teams, awareness and fundraising. “We are hoping to get 140 registered survivors to participate,” Kotwica said. Survivors are offered the opportunity to create life-long friendships and support with other survivors who have experienced the same ups and down in their battles. For teams, the goal is 50. Already 29 have registered. Financially, the event always hopes to do better than the previous year.
Kotwica said that plans are underway to eliminate the long registration lines for survivors on the opening day of the Relay. One way that they hope to accomplish this is by having survivors pre-register online . Survivors are given a an American Chestnut tree to plant and, along with a caregiver, are invited to the survivor’s dinner. During the Survivors Lap of the Relay, upbeat music plays as all cancer survivors at the event take the first lap around the track cheered on by the other participants who line the track, celebrating their victory.
The 2015 Madison County Relay for Life will be held on the athletic field at Oneida High School Saturday May 30 -Sunday May 31.
For further information, individuals can contact Amy Kotwica at Amy.Kotwica@cancer.org.