Remember those who have lost their lives to cancer, honor survivors and support those who are still fighting the battle against the deadly disease by joining in the Santa Clarita Valley Relay For Life (RFL) signature walk event next month. It’s a 24-hour American Cancer Society event you’ll never forget.
During the 2-day RFL event, teams walk in relay- style around a track at Central Park in Santa Clarita. The event honors cancer survivors by inviting them to take the first lap around the track on Saturday, June 2 at 9 a.m. Cancer survivors are the heart of the annual event. When the sun goes down, thousands of luminaries light the way under the stars and a moment of silence falls during the Ceremony of Hope.
Each Luminaria bears the name of a person who has battled cancer.
“We honor those who continue the battle and remember those who have passed away,” said event co-chair Candy Spahr, “We also recognize the caregivers who support their loved ones with cancer.”
The candles in the Luminaria bags burn throughout the night honoring and memorializing those who have faced cancer.
One such survivor is Dave Koppenhauer who successfully won the fight against breast cancer himself. Koppenhauer and his family attended and spoke at the RFL kick-off event last month. It’s a cause very near and dear to him since his 11-year-old son was also recently diagnosed with a very rare form of cancer.
“All I could ask was ‘Why us? Why us again?,” said Koppenhauer, who wants to raise awareness of ways to fight cancer. That is why his team is number one with donations raised at the time of print.
You too can join the battle.
“Each step we take draws us closer to a cure,” says Spahr.
Dr. Barbara Florentine, Director of Pathology at Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital, also spoke at the kick-off event saying, “Due to education, screening rates and increasingly more effective treatment regimes, we are seeing a decrease for the second year in a row in cancer deaths. Let’s continue in that direction and reduce cancer deaths by one-half by the year 2015 and improve the quality of life for those with cancer.”
Spahr, with her compassion for the RFL event says, “If you have ever looked into the eyes of someone with cancer, you know the importance of an event such as RFL. We are closer than ever to conquering this disease but we have some work still ahead of us.”
For further information on SCV Relay for Life, call Candy Spahr at 661-299-5536 or visit www.scvrelay.org and make a difference in the lives of others.