Over the last week, it has become widely known that the East Peoria Relay For Life is struggling.
Relay organizers and American Cancer Society staff addressed city council on Aug. 10 and have also pleaded their case to the public asking for help.
The underlying problem: There is not enough support.
Only 18 teams participated during the 2010 Relay, and organizers need to fill a committee of 25 to 40 individuals to keep the 2011 Relay running successfully. (See story on 1A.)
Only a handful of people organized this year’s Relay, according to Tonda Thompson, regional vice president of the West Central Region, American Cancer Society, Illinois Division.
“That’s not an ideal way to do a Relay,” she said.
Although interest has increased during the past week and some of the committee spots were filled during Thursday’s meeting at the East Peoria’s VFW Post, there is still a need for help.
And East Peorians should do their part and step up. Since its founding in 1998, the East Peoria Relay has raised $1.2 million.
That’s a substantial amount of fundraising for the American Cancer Society — fundraising that is needed now more than ever.
Cancer is something that has touched almost everyone in some way, and as a community, we need to rally behind the fight to find a cure for this deadly disease.
This year, nearly 570,000 Americans are expected to die of cancer, more than 1,500 people a day, according to the American Cancer Society. In fact, cancer accounts for nearly one of every four deaths.
So, why the lack of support?
It is time to answer the call and help out. And if it is a time commitment people are worried about, the majority of the committee positions would not take more than a few phone calls, said Diana Feeney, Relay organizer and cancer survivor.
Feeney and other Relay organizers should be commended for bringing the issue to the forefront before it was too late. They are continuing to fight for the Relay, just like millions of individuals are fighting against cancer today.
