American Cancer Society & Its Many Labors of Love:

Through a series of articles I am going to introduce you to the many programs that the American Cancer Society offers to thousands of communities around the world. As you will find out in the second part of this first article, I am very attached to ACS in a very personal way. I hope that you learn a little more about what they do and decide to volunteer at a program/event near you.

The first program I am featuring is Relay for Life...

Relay for Life is the signature fundraiser for the American Cancer Society. Relay is an overnight event that celebrates survivors, remembers those we have lost to cancer and raise money to fight for a cure. Relay is now 4,800 communities nationwide strong and in over 22 countries around the world. The Relay motto is: One Day. One Night. One Community.

The idea is that if a cancer patient and survivor can go through the diagnose, the emotions, the disease ravaging their body, the chemo, the surgeries and the fear- then we can give up one night of our lives to honor them and support our local programs through ACS.

Relay is an event formed by teams, activities and lots of fun! The first Relay for Life event proved that one person can make a difference. In 1985, Dr. Gordy Klatt, a colorectal surgeon in Tacoma, Washington, wanted to bring in more income for his local ACS office. Dr. Klatt was an avid runner and often took part in marathons; he saw this as an opportunity to raise the money ACS needed. So, he got a few friends, 300 to be exact, to come out to Baker Stadium at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma and they spent a grueling 24-hours circling the track for more than 83 miles.

Throughout the night, Dr. Klatt's friends paid him $25 to run or walk 30 minutes with him. At the end of the 24-hours he had raised $27,000 to fight cancer! While, he circled that track he envisioned a bigger event with teams to raise even more in the fight against cancer. Months later he got together a planning committee and did just that. The first Relay event, as we know it now, included 19 teams and raised an incredible $33,000.