Saturday was the first meeting of the Relay for Life of Valdez organizing committee. Relay for Life is a means for ordinary people to raise money to support the extraordinary mission of the American Cancer Society. I have the "pleasure" of being the Valdez Sponsorship Chair - my job is to fund-raise with local businesses. This task will be a big one for me and I will require lots of encouragement. I have previously determined that corporate fund-raising is not my forte. Relay is important, however, so I will forge ahead.
When I last wrote about Relay, I had just been to the state summit, a crying fest if there ever was one. I was afraid that Saturday's meeting was going to be more of the same, but Wendy saved it from being too maudlin. We have a great bunch of people organizing the 2012 Relay under Wendy Goldstein's guidance. Everyone there had personal reason to know that preventing and curing cancer is one of the most important things we need to do right now.
Next fall will be the twentieth anniversary of my father's death from non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, a cancer he battled for over five years. It is in his memory, and in memory of his father and my aunt, that I will force myself to overcome my discomfort and be the best Sponsorship Chair I can be.
There are many ways that you can support the Relay for Life of Valdez: join a team, support those on teams, make in-kind donations if you can't afford cash, or just volunteer to help out. The 2012 Relay for Life of Valdez will be held June 22 - 23, 24 hours of fun, camaraderie and fund-raising. The kick-off party will be January 13 at the Whitney Museum. Come join us to start a team, join a team, or offer to help in other ways.
Some unknown wise person said, "Make your life a mission, not an intermission." Let me know how I can help you make your life a mission by helping you become involved in the 2012 Relay for Life of Valdez.
