The Global Fight Against Cancer

American Cancer Society Announces Global Relay For Life® Heroes of Hope

Today, the Relay For Life movement is the largest and most successful community fundraising activity in the world, and that is thanks in no small part to every single one of the more than 4 million participants who join us around the track each year. Survivors and caregivers around the world come together every year to spread the message of hope – a message that can be understood in any language. It is hope that brings strength and courage to survivors, knowing they are not alone in the cancer journey and that one day, together, we will finish the fight against cancer once and for all!

A highly visible symbol of a personal victory over cancer, the Global Relay For Life Heroes of Hope and their stories encourage support of and participation in the programs of each global cancer organization.

More than simply inspiring us, cancer survivors and caregivers reaffirm the missions of our organizations and reinforce, in a personal way, the need for all of us to continue to fight back against cancer. The Global Relay For Life Heroes of Hope survivorship initiative involves the selection of Heroes of Hope from Global Relay For Life participating countries.

The initiative has three primary goals:

• Give each Global Relay For Life member country an opportunity to recognize one or more cancer survivors who have impacted their community.

• Give one or more cancer survivors the opportunity to serve as a voice for their country’s cancer organization.

• Encourage other cancer survivors to actively share their own cancer story and give hope to others.

Heroes of Hope are extraordinary cancer survivors who represent courageous voices of hope. In telling their stories, they will encourage others to support their cancer organization and to get involved in Relay For Life events. As ambassadors of their countries’ cancer organizations, these Heroes of Hope will inspire other survivors and expand the whole world of cancer survivorship.

Congratulations to our 2015 Global Relay For Life Heroes of Hope!

AUSTRALIA

• James Garlick

• Junette Harris

• Rob Stanley-Jones

 

BELGIUM

• Viviane Vantournhoudt

 

CANADA

• Paul Cescon

• Nicole Lang

 

DENMARK

• Trine Lützen

 

HONDURAS

• Cesar Manzanares

• Marielena Martinez

 

IRELAND

• Noelle Clancy

• Siubhan Gillespie

• Yvonne Jones

 

JAMAICA

• O’Dell Lewis

 

JAPAN

• Kiyoko Karasawa

• Shinichi Nakamura

• Makiko Suzuki

 

MALAYSIA

• Lena Abdullah

 

PHILIPPINES

• Maria Teresa Baniquet

 

SOUTH AFRICA

• Cheryl de Wit

• Charl Pretorius

• Yoliswa Fatima Sherazi

• Nellie Snyman

 

THE NETHERLANDS

• Mirelle Jacobs

• Petra Otten

 

UNITED KINGDOM

• Lauren Brown

 

UNITED STATES

• Glen Brooks

• Cynthia Dickson

• Ronnie Trentham

• Julie Turner

 

ZAMBIA

• Rebecca Siambwati

A New Hope: Relay For Life in Kenya

Iris Pendegrast, Managing Director, Global Relay For Life

In early March, I visited Kenya with several staff members from the American Cancer Society Global Health department and a Society volunteer to determine how the American Cancer Society can best support cancer treatment and prevention efforts in this country.  As part of this trip, we trained volunteers for the country’s first Relay For Life, which will be hosted by KENCASA (Kenya Cancer Association) in June 2014.  

The cancer situation in Kenya is pretty bleak for patients without financial means.  In a country of 40 million, 60% make less than $2 per day. Cancer is the third leading cause of death in Kenya –after infectious diseases and cardiovascular disease. The leading cancers in Kenya are cervical and breast cancer for women and prostate and esophagus for men. Over 80% of cancer cases in Kenya present late and 80% come from the rural areas. Currently, the Kenyatta National Hospital, the only public hospital that treats cancer patients, has an extreme backlog and isn’t scheduling appointments for newly diagnosed patients who need radiation until February 2015.

We met with several organizations and key stakeholders during our visit who explained that late presentation and management of cancer is due to multiple factors:
- Lack of awareness
- Inadequate diagnostic facilities
- Lack of treatment facilities
- High cost of treatment – the public hospital charges for treatment
- High poverty index

We heard throughout the trip about the lack of a facility for patients to stay if they were lucky enough to actually get an appointment for treatment in Nairobi.  We had the chance to meet with the executive leadership of the private hospital, Aga Khan University Hospital, and they gave us a tour.  It is indeed a fine hospital, in stark contrast to the public hospital where they have one used radiation machine and patients may have to wait a year or more for radiation. 

It is at this crossroads between the cancer science, treatment, and fundraising where our Global Relay For Life fits. The mission for Relay For Life through KENCASA is to fund the treatment of at least 30 patients in each of the 54 counties across the country.  These are people that currently have no resources, no transportation to Nairobi hospitals, and nowhere to stay when they get to the city. It is the sincere hope of the American Cancer Society Global Health Department that in partnership with Global Relay For Life, KENCASA will begin to generate the funds required to provide the basic resources needed in this growing country. 

While there, we hosted a reception to officially kick off Relay For Life in Kenya, and we had over a 100 VIPs attend.  Among them was the Chairman of KCB bank, who not only publicly stated the bank's support of Relay by committing multiple teams, but they also made a commitment of 250,000 Kenyan shillings (about $3,000). 

The highlight for the Relay team was the Relay For Life training.  Laura McCormick, ACS Global Relay For Life volunteer from the New England Division, did an outstanding job showcasing the importance of the volunteer role in Relay, and the Kenyan volunteers connected with her as a role model instantly. Ann McMikel, Vice President of Global Partnerships and Planning, and Jacqui Drope, Managing Director of Global Cancer Prevention, shared our collective global planning and how to leverage the goals and partners of both organizations in the global fight against cancer. We had the opportunity to meet with the Kenyan Relay leadership committee and helped prepare them for the all-day training.  The training was originally was planned for 35 people, but in fact 180 people attended! Many had traveled over 300 km to get there and they were one of the most engaged groups in my history with our Global Relay For Life program.

It is evident that Relay For Life is going to make an incredible difference in Kenya, and it is definitely going to give a voice to the people in most need.  I believe that the volunteers that attended our training will make the difference and they will do it quickly.  They were very verbal about the plight of cancer patients and one after one pledged their commitment to make Relay For Life a success in their country.  Relay will bring much needed education to debunk the myths surrounding cancer in the rural counties, it will provide critical prevention information, and it will bring much needed funds to help 1,470 Kenyans get the treatment they need. Above all, Relay will mobilize these communities, which will in turn force policy change at the highest level - the only way the cancer landscape will change over the long-term.

 

One of the highlights of the week was meeting with the Governor of Nairobi, Dr.Evans Kidero, who lost his wife a few years ago to cervical cancer.

 

 

Luminaria Ceremony training with Relay For Life of Kenya volunteers.

Relay For Life® Event in Nelspruit, South Africa, Draws More than 5,000 Participants

Relay teams walk laps during Nelspruit, South Africa Relay event

A recent Relay For Life® event in Nelspruit, South Africa, drew large crowds and local media coverage. Volunteers of the Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA) organized the Relay in Nelspruit from March 7-8, at Laerskool Nelspruit Sports Field. The event built on the success of last year’s first-ever Relay in the city. This year, more than 5,000 participants and 134 teams joined together in the fight against cancer. The event was covered in two issues of the Nelspruit newspaper Lowvelder, which featured related stories and photos as well as a personal message from Dr. Gordy Klatt, the American Cancer Society volunteer who inspired the Relay For Life movement. The publication of Dr. Klatt’s message and success of the Relay event drew praise from CANSA and members of the Nelspruit community and helped showcase how Relay For Life is making a difference in communities in South Africa and around the world.

International Relay For Life Representatives Participate in Cancer Research UK Relay Summit

Jeff Ross (left), American Cancer Society South Atlantic Division board member and National Relay Advisory Team member, and Rebecca Gardner (right), Cancer Research UK staff member

Representatives of the American Cancer Society’s International Relay For Life® program were honored to attend the Cancer Research UK (CRUK) Relay Summit on October 17-19 in Stratford-Upon-Avon, England. Among the guest speakers for this event was Jeff Ross, American Cancer Society South Atlantic Division board member and National Relay Advisory Team member. During his keynote address and a panel discussion, Jeff demonstrated his huge passion for Relay and proved once again that there is an international movement of Relay volunteers and staff committed to eradicating cancer. The summit convened dedicated Relay volunteers and staff from all over the United Kingdom, all committed to learning how to grow and develop their Relay programs as part of the global fight against cancer.

Potokwane Celebrates Largest Relay For Life® Event in South Africa

The stadium of the Pietersburg High School in Potokwane, South Africa, was transformed into a venue of hope and celebration on October 3 and 4, 2008, to accommodate a historic event: the largest Relay For Life in South Africa. Despite being located in Limpopo, the poorest province in the country, the Potokwane Relay drew over 162 registered teams, families, and individual participants – including more than 200 cancer survivors – and raised 729,000 South African rand for the fight against cancer. The event launched with the Survivors Lap, in which 180 cancer survivors took to the stadium track amidst singing, dancing, and cheering. Following a sit-down dinner on behalf of the survivors, registered teams had their turn walking the track. An estimated 3,000 lumunaria candles burned during the event’s Luminaria Ceremony, creating a tranquil glow of remembrance. The Relay came to a dramatic close the next morning with the release of 200 doves. Proceeds raised by the Potokwane Relay For Life event will go toward efforts to help the Potokwane Region of the Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA). This organization will work improve the lives of local cancer patients and their families through a host of initiatives, including monthly prevention and information campaigns; support efforts for the Theunis Fichardt Hospitium, which has taken care of cancer patients and their families for the past nineteen years; and support for the Tough Living with Cancer (TLC) project, which assists children and adults affected by cancer.

American Cancer Society Nationwide Relay For Life® Summit Draws Relay Volunteers and Staff From Three Continents

June Porter-Mills (left), a volunteer, and David Trim, (right), a staff member, from the Cancer Society of New Zealand

Twelve Relay volunteers and staff from three continents joined thousands of other participants at the American Cancer Society Nationwide Relay For Life Summit held August 1-2 in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Relay representatives, from Australia (Victoria and Western Australia), Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom, took part in training, shared in the celebration and preparation for the 25th year of Relay, and represented the global family of Relayers – now spanning 20 countries around the world – and their achievements in cancer education, survivorship, fundraising, and advocacy. Prior to the summit, these Relayers met at the International Relay For Life Workshop in Indianapolis on July 31. During this workshop, volunteers and staff shared information on their recent Relay activities and created program and event development strategies to strengthen Relay For Life in their countries.

Relay For Life® Draws 3,000 Participants in Zululand, South Africa

Cancer survivors walking the first lap of honor at Relay For Life® event in Zululand, South Africa

On May 30, under the night sky in Zululand, South Africa, a flare kicked off a remarkable Relay For Life® event that drew more than 3,000 participants. At the vast Zululand Chamber of Business Foundation show grounds, 82 Relay teams gathered to give their hearts, energy, and donations to the Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA). The crowd of Zululanders, which represented the cultural and demographic diversity of the community, walked, danced, sang, and celebrated through the night to raise more than $25,000 for CANSA activities and programs. More than 600 luminaria bags lined the track as 90 cancer survivors walked the first lap of honor, which was followed by a lap by their caregivers and the CANSA committee. During the closing ceremony, Deputy Mayor Celiwe Madlopha praised the participants, sponsors, and organizers and gave the Zululand Observer newspaper credit for promoting and supporting this successful Relay event.

Global Reach of Relay For Life® Featured on California TV News Report

A local television station, KGET 17, in Bakersfield, California, broadcast a news report on May 5 on the Bakersfield American Cancer Society Relay For Life® event, highlighting how it demonstrated the global reach of Relay, the Society’s signature activity. Staff and volunteers from Cancer Research UK, a cancer control organization in the United Kingdom, came to this year's Relay For Life in Bakersfield to learn how American Cancer Society staff and volunteers organize and manage their Relay programs. The four Cancer Research UK staff and volunteers, from England, Scotland, and Wales, took away many strategic Relay best practices they can use upon returning to the United Kingdom, from overall management at senior levels to working with volunteers at the community level. They learned how a Relay program can serve as a portal through which their organization can showcase everything they do at the community level in the fight against cancer, and how it can help them raise funds to save more lives. Staff and volunteers from Cancer Research UK and the American Cancer Society were featured in the news report, including Iris Pendergast, lead manager for International Relay For Life training in the Society’s Great West Division. Relay events are now held in more than 600 communities spanning 19 countries outside the United States. To see the news report video and read the related article, please click the following link: 

http://www.kget.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=129bdec7-9f68-40b5-ba0a-137422be83ea

Mid-South Conducts African Relay For Life® Leadership Training and Attends Relay in Oudtschoorn, South Africa

Three hundred participants rallied at the Oudtschoorn Relay event and stayed active with exercises including spinning (above).

Joe Cahoon, Mid-South Division chief executive officer, and Ryan Palmer, vice president of Constituent Services for the Mid-South Division, conducted a Relay For Life senior strategy training for leaders of the Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA) regional offices.  During the February 2 briefing in Oudtschoorn, South Africa, the group focused on best practices in Relay leadership recruitment, activities, mission integration, corporate strategies, and discussed lessons learned during Relay’s 20-year history. Gina Myracle, a Mid-South volunteer and Division board member, conducted an intensive training for CANSA Relay volunteers who are gearing up for a significant program expansion this year. After the trainings, the group attended South Africa’s second Relay event on February 3 at the De Jager Sports Complex, a municipal facility in Oudtschoorn. Twenty-two teams, 50 survivors, and approximately 300 participants rallied around the field during the night, staying active with family activities such as hourly exercise classes and cooking contests.

Slovenia Hosts Great West Division Volunteer at Relay Training

   

The first in-country training in Slovenia was held in Ljubljana the second week of November. This training was attended by 12 participants and one volunteer from the Great West, Shelley Mauss. Although Slovenia has participated in Relay For Life for the last several years, the country’s Relay organizers are looking forward to applying the skills they have learned to the upcoming events. The Slovenian Relay For Life (Hoja za Življenje za Pre Živele Z Rakom, RTF) is scheduled for spring 2007.