The American Cancer Society 2009 Relay For Life of Isle of Wight/Surry was held on Saturday, May 30th at Smithfield High School. Due to the forecast of threatening storms on Friday night, the difficult decision was made to postpone our event to a one-day activity that turned out to be a wonderful time for our community.

Hundreds of Cancer Survivors, team members, volunteers, and local folks gathered for this day to Celebrate, Remember, and make the pledge to Fight Back. All ages walked the track in symbolic support of those affected by cancer. People from many walks of life came together, UNITED, in the fight against cancer.

I want to thank my Co-Chairs, Nancy Cowan and Donna Cowger. We appreciate the support of our Committee Members, Team Captains, team members, and volunteers. In this time of economic uncertainty, we appreciate the corporate and business sponsorships that also include in-kind donations. Many hours of fundraising since last September have been supported by our community members and families. We have had a lot of fun during these activities and “thank you” for your heartfelt support and encouragement.

The numbers are in! We had 51 teams, 760 participants, and have raised $189,534! Once again, phenomenal numbers for a community of our size.

We are recruiting for our 2009-2010 Planning Committee. Log on to www.RelayForLife.org for more information or call me at 255-0058 if you would like to get involved. We can find a way for you to make a difference in the fight against cancer. If you or someone you know needs cancer information and/or support, call 1-800-ACS-2345 or go to www.cancer.org.

Thank you again, Isle of Wight/Surry communities for your sincere support. Thank you for taking up the fight against cancer!