2015 RELAY FOR LIFE MAGAZINE LINCOLN DAILY NEWS.com June 22, 2015 3
Logan County Relay For Life kicks off 2015
campaign “Ready - Set - Go for the Cure”
I
n its 30 year history, the American Cancer
Society’s Relay For Life has raised $4.5
billion. As their website notes, “Every year,
more than 4 million people come together
at Relay For Life events around the world to
support the American Cancer Society and
help finish the fight against cancer.”
As the 2015 Logan County Relay for Life
kicked off, workers, survivors, and caretakers
learned many inspiring facts about the work
done over the years.
Following a potluck dinner, Rachel Ray, a
Relay for Life specialist from the Springfield
American Cancer Society office, introduced
team leaders, acknowledged the hard work it
takes to make the Relay work, and initiated
team registrations.
Relays are the most impactful, raising
approximately $400 million each year. She
described the productive ways in which the
funds will be distributed, highlighting some
of the resources it provides such as a 24-hour-
hotline with trained cancer information
specialist, the cancer.org website, lodging, and
online communities.
Statistics from 2013 show that the funds
helped provide more than 380,000 rides to
and from treatment or medical appointments
and saved patients more than $38 million in
lodging costs by providing patients a free place
to stay when they had to travel for treatment.
Ray also noted several goals for this year’s
Relay including raising $65,000 in gross
income; having 27 teams participating; having
350 participants; and getting at least 200
survivors involved. She would also like to have
40 new ASC CAN members. According to
the American Cancer Society Cancer Action
Network, “ACS CAN empowers regular people
to be part of the growing national movement
that is fighting back against cancer.”
Two of the local leaders filling roles in this year’s
Relay encouraged people to join in the fight.
‘People Lead’ Tonita Reifsteck talked about
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