Relay makes push for funds
By Phyllis Moore
Published in News on April 17, 2017 9:57 AM
Support for Relay for Life this year is more important than ever, says its local director, reacting to threats that the federal government is proposing cutting nearly $1 billion out of cancer research funding.
The federal government is the largest funding source for cancer research, she said.
The news had been more promising last year, she said, when a Moonshot Summit was held at Howard University. Then-Vice President Joe Biden led the charge to double federal funding for research over the next five years.
With a new administration the tide has turned, but the need has not, says Brenda Robinson, community manager for Relay for Life in Wayne County.
"If we don't support it, if there's no cancer research, there's nothing to treat (cancer)," she said last week. "If we don't keep fighting and finding ways to treat it, we'll slip back to 100 years ago when nobody knew how to treat it.
"At least now people are surviving it."
Relay for Life, the local signature event for the American Cancer Society, has research as its cornerstone. Funds raised go to support cancer research in an effort to move closer to a cure, as well as education and programs for those battling the disease.
It has been an annual effort here for more than 30 years, starting out as a 24-hour Run/Walk/Swim event before switching to Relay for Life in 1994.
Relay has maintained a good reputation over the years, often breaking records in attendance and donations, earning state and national awards. For several years, it was among the Top 20 in the country and held the record for being the No. 1 event in the state for raising the most money.
Mrs. Robinson volunteered in the program for 17 years before being hired by the ACS in 2016, the first local person to serve as Wayne County's community manager. This year she is also coordinating the event for Johnston County, which will be held June 2.
The event has struggled in recent years, in attendance and funding.
In 2016, it raised $250,000, despite being cut short.
"Last year, we had an awesome crowd and then all of a sudden it started raining and everybody left," she said. "This year we'll be up against the (Seymour Johnson Air Force Base) air show -- I'm trying to push for the base to cross promote it. If people are in from out of town, Friday night we'll promote the (weekend) air show."
There will be a few changes to the festivities this year, which take place Friday, May 19, at the county fairgrounds.
"This will be the first year that we have not gone all night. It'll be Friday at 1 p.m. until 1 a.m. Saturday," she said.
The gates will open at 1 p.m., with the opening ceremony starting at 6.
There will be a variety of food vendors and a packed entertainment schedule -- including two popular bands, Ordnary Gentlemen and Digger Foot.
There will also be other staples -- from the survivors walk, caregivers walk and kids walk to the luminaria ceremony -- all staying true to the central theme of the occasion, supporting survivors and those still battling cancer and honoring those who lost the fight.
Teams are still needed and are being enlisted from churches, businesses and organizations to host fundraisers and set up booths at the event. They traditionally sell food or crafts and other items.
The American Cancer Society offers a variety of services and programs, Mrs. Robinson said, from a clinical trials matching service to efforts to provide transportation, lodging and guidance to patients and families.
"We still have programs -- Look Good, Feel Better; I Can Cope; support groups -- all kinds of mission programs, but they're not here because they weren't utilized," Mrs. Robinson said. "People say, 'What do you do in our community?' There's people in this community that take those drugs that (ACS) helped to develop."
With an estimated 15.8 million cancer survivors nationwide, Mrs. Robinson said she will continue to push for the research needed to maintain, and increase, those statistics.
"Drugs don't cure it all, yet," Dr. Adams said. "Eventually I hope we've got something that will."
Meanwhile, as a lead-in to this year's Relay for Life, there are several other activities coming up.
The annual survivors banquet will take place Thursday, April 20, at 6 p.m. at First Pentecostal Holiness Church. Also free, registration is requested and can be done on the Relay website.
For more information, visit RelayForLife.org/waynenc.