Volunteers looking to donate their time to a great cause are filling local tracks to benefit cancer research through the American Cancer Society.
The same goes for Kim Fischer, second year chairperson of the eighth-annual Relay for Life Clarkston, which begins Saturday at 10 a.m. at Clarkston Junior High School. The event will open with a ‘victory lap? for cancer survivors and then each team, Fischer estimates about 25, will keep a team member circling the track until 10 a.m. Sunday.
Last year’s relay raised about $100,000 and the goal is $10,000 more for this year, Fischer said.
Each team will sponsor different fund-raising activities such as dunk tanks, karaoke, and ice cream sales. Some laps will dictate the outfits of each walker such as Hawaiian and patriotic-themed laps.
One of the highlights of the nighttime walk is the 10 p.m. luminaria display. Luminarias, available for a $10 donation, will have lighted candles inside paper bags in memory of cancer patients.
‘That’s our goal, to line the track with those,? Fischer said.
‘That’s one of the most impressive things we have. It’s the most touching and emotional part of the relay.
‘It’s a time to reflect.?
Fischer, from White Lake Township, began donating clothing as a member of Aflac, an insurance agency. Afterwards, she felt compelled to give her time to the cause. Fischer has lost four family members to cancer, and another, her step-mother, is a cancer survivor.
‘All of us have been touched by cancer through family and friends,? Fischer said.
‘I wanted to give something back to the community and help fight cancer.?
ACS Community Representative Kelli McCoy, in her second year working with the Clarkston relay, said the event brings out a sense of community.
‘It’s grown and we’ve included more survivors each year,? she said.
?(The relay) really lets the community know what the American Cancer Society is here for.?
Donations from the relay support local and nationwide research and area programs, McCoy said. Local programs include ‘Reach to Recovery,? ‘Look Good, Feel Better,? and a college scholarship award.
Linda Josephson, also from White Lake Township, will make her first appearance in Clarkston as captain of 35-member Team Extreme. The walk became about hope for Josephson, who lost her father to kidney cancer in 2005. Her first walk was a somber tribute to him, but her outlook on the walk changed after meeting a friend of her son Cameron.
Cameron Josephson has a 6-year-old friend who happens to be a 5-year cancer survivor.
‘The relay represents hope, not sadness like it used to be,? Linda Josephson said.
‘He and his family have taught me a lot about hope and the way things are supposed to be.?
Team Extreme got a head start with its fund-raising activities in April with help from JD’s Key Club in Pontiac. The group raised $3,000 that night through ticket sales and a percentage of bar sales, Josephson said.
Relay for Life began in 1985 when Dr. Gordy Klatt, a surgeon in Washington, wanted to raise money for the local office of the American Cancer Society. Requiring donations from about 300 friends and family to walk with him during his 24-hour journey, Klatt raised $27,000, according to the American Cancer Society.
The Clarkston relay is open to the public and there will be free admission. To event’s Web site is www.acsevents.org/relay/mi/clarkston.
For more information about ACS, cancer statistics, or Relay for Life, visit www.cancer.org.