June 15, 2002 – The Virgin Islands is taking part in the American Cancer Society's international "Relay for Life" on June 22-23 at Charlotte Amalie High School track.
An exciting 24-hour event is planned, filled with activities, and centered around raising awareness of cancer and of the role of the American Cancer Society, honoring survivors, remembering those lost, and raising funds to continue the fight. Although the "Relay for Life" has been going on since 1992, this is the first time the Virgin Islands has joined in.
Virgin Islands walkers and runners will go around the clock and around the track, using a team relay system. The team relays will take place from 6:45 p.m. Saturday all through the night until 11 a.m. Sunday, with the goal of raising $150,000 in the St. Thomas-St. John District.
Organizations can set up a team; for example, every Rotary club on St. Thomas will have a team. A bunch of friends or family members can band together and form a team. A couple of groups might come from St. Croix and get a headstart on the fall event planned for their island for October 13-14.
Well-known running star, teacher, and track official Therese Hodge is in charge of team recruitment, and she has it all organized at 775-6373. Everybody who wants to be involved can pay $10 and receive a T-shirt that will serve as admission throughout the 24 hours. Sign yourself up or get a team of 12-15 people together and register with Hodge.
Signing a card at time of registration time in memory of someone who died or in support of someone who survives entitles you to a luminary. Just before 10 p.m. all walking will stop for the Luminary Ceremony, as candles are lit all around the track for those remembered or honored.
Before the track relay begins, teams will set up and decorate tents. Set-up and informal activities start at 2:30 Saturday. The relay starts after the 6 p.m. opening ceremony and the Survivors Victory Lap at 6:30 p.m. Then the relay starts, and only one team member at a time is required on the track. Team members can relax and rest or party in and around the tent while one of their members at all times is on the track.
Except during the Luminary Ceremony, relay laps will continue all night and until 11 a.m. Sunday. Relay runners or walkers and those awaiting their turn will be entertained all evening and night by a band at 10 p.m.; karaoke at midnight; bingo and dominoes; and masseuses.
Sunday morning there will be a sunrise service, a breakfast and aerobics class – all while the relay continues.
"Every penny raised stays right here," emphasized Carthy Thomas, public relations officer. In the particular Virgin Islands situation, it's important to give financial assistance to people who have to go off island for radiation treatments, and some funds will go to that, as well as to educational programs, screening, and expanded research.
Most communities who have held relays for several years find that their fund raising improves exponentially. The first Relay, run and walked solo by Dr. Gordie Klatt for 24 hours in Tacoma, Washington, in 1985, raised more than $27,000 for the fight against cancer. Now more than 2,000 communities take part, and since 1995 the Relay has raised $1 billion.
The Shenandoah unit of the American Cancer Society placed first in the nation in 2001 – they took in a total of $271,837, or $7.14 per capita, in a community in the 30,000-50,000 population range.
It's a worldwide effort, too – with relays in Britain, Singapore, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand.
"Relay for Life is as much an awareness raiser about progress against cancer as it is a fund-raiser," said Raul Carrillo, chairperson of the St. Thomas/St. John Relay. "May of the participants will be people who have been cured of cancer themselves. Their involvement is proof of the progress that has been made not only in cancer cure rates, but also in the quality of life following cancer treatment."
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