Leadership Summit

Gina and I are leaving today for the Relay For Life Leadership Summit to be held at Opryland Resort and Convention Center in Nashville, Tennessee the 7th and 8th of November. We are looking forward to attending.

Relay For Life is the American Cancer Society’s signature activity. It offers everyone in a community an opportunity to participate in the fight against cancer. Teams of people camp out at a local high school, park, or fairground and take turns walking or running around a track or path. Each team is asked to have a representative on the track at all times during the event. Relays are an overnight event.



Teams of people from all walks of life have fun while raising much-needed funds to fight cancer and raise awareness of cancer prevention and treatment.



The event in Mena was great. It was held in beautiful Janssen Park and was very successful. There was great entertainment and it was very well attended.







The purpose of Relay For Life is to celebrate the lives of those who have battled cancer. The strength of survivors inspires others to continue to fight. Remember loved ones lost to the disease. At Relay, people who have walked alongside people battling cancer can grieve and find healing. Fight Back. We Relay because we have been touched by cancer and desperately want to put an end to the disease.



For more Relay For Life information go to the Polk County Relay For Life Blog

Why I Relay

Yesterday we had the first Relay For Life committee meeting of the new season. We started planning for the Relay to be held here in Mena in April 2009. Our committee is small. but is a fantastic group to work with. I want to share the reasons that I am a part of Relay For Life.

I am involved in Relay For Life for a number of reasons. The number one reason is because my wife is passionate about Relay. She has such a passion for Relay For Life that it rubs off on those around her. Her passion stems from her family history. Her mother died of cancer when Gina was just 21 years old. Her father had colon cancer, and all three of her sisters have had breast cancer. She is the only person in her immediate family that is cancer free.

Several years ago, Gina's sister Roberta got involved with Relay For Life in Enumclaw, Washington. For a number of years, Gina would travel to Enumclaw to be a part of Relay For Life there. Two years ago, we learned that Polk County was going to have a Relay. We got involved in the 2007 Relay, and have been involved ever since.

My uncle, Delbert Lawry, died from cancer a couple of years ago. I lost not only an uncle, but a friend and someone who was willing to help anytime. I have come to realize the importance of the work that the American Cancer Society does. It is involved in research, prevention, and helping those who are dealing with cancer.

Just about everyone has been affected by cancer in one way or another. Relay For Life is a fun way to raise money and awareness for the American Cancer Society. There is probably no other cause that a person can support that touches more lives. Relay celebrates those who have battled cancer, it remembers those who have fallen, and it provides a way to fight back. That is why I am proud to be a part of Relay For Life. I hope that you will be a part of Relay For Life too.

I have started a Polk County Relay For Life blog. It will become more active as we get nearer to the Relay next year. You can find the blog here.