Cancer never sleeps
Published: June 12, 2005
Patrick Healy heard about the American Cancer Society’s annual fundraiser a few years ago, but he participated for the first time this year to celebrate a decade of surviving prostate cancer.
“I always wanted to come,” the Nanuet resident said. “But this year I said we’re coming no matter what. It’s my 10-year anniversary, so it has a little significance.”
Healy joined his family, friends and more than 2,000 supporters yesterday at the ACS’ eighth annual Relay for Life, a 24-hour event that tries to raise awareness and funds for cancer research and to promote education and advocacy programs for cancer patients.
The event, held at Clarkstown North High School’s track and football field, honored and remembered cancer survivors and victims who died from the disease.
“It’s an overnight event that goes along with the theme that cancer never sleeps,” said Steve Baron, a co-chairman of the event and Wesley Hills resident. “It’s always in our face day and night, and we’ll do anything to get a cure for it.”
About 70 teams representing local schools, churches, hospitals, businesses and other organizations walked, ran or jogged around the track throughout the day, and members of each team planned to take turns around the track all night until this morning.
The program includes raffles, prizes for teams who raised the most money or showed the most team spirit, a disc jockey spinning hits all day, food, games and carnival rides for children, and memorial ceremonies. Cancer survivors were to walk the survivors’ lap, and, at night, a luminaria ceremony was to include a silent lap as 5,000 candles for survivors and victims lined the track.
The word “Hope” would be spelled out in candles on the bleachers, said Marsha Silberman, an event co-chairman and Wesley Hills resident.
Healy, who came with his wife, Jody, and two daughters, walked laps with the Healy’s Heroes team. He said he looked forward to the candlelight vigil.
“Everybody can relate to it in some way,” he said. “Cancer doesn’t have to be the end. There’s hope, and in the future there will be more advances and more cures.”
His daughter, Kaitlyn, 6, said she also walked around the track.
“I came for my daddy,” she said, her lips red from an Italian ice she ate. She said she was excited to play Frisbee, jump in the balloon castle and get her face painted.
Colleen Hand, 14, of Blauvelt participated in the relay with her Girl Scout troop to honor her grandfather, who died from lung cancer in April.
“If you realize how many people come, and they’re all helping each other a lot by raising money and working together, a lot of people can connect with you,” she said as she blew bubbles at the children’s activities tent.
Janice Belasco, a reading teacher at Lime Kiln Elementary, survived breast cancer. She walked the track yesterday with her friends and supporters from school who called their team the Lime Kiln Life Savers.
“It’s like a celebration that’s so incredible to be a part of,” said Belasco, a Bardonia resident who wore a “survivor” sash as she walked around the track. “There’s hope out there if you should ever be diagnosed with this disease, but we should never forget those who lost the battle.”
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