Cancer Survivors Invited To Celebrate Victory At Relay For Life
Posted
Staff Report-
Kosciusko County Relay For Life is Saturday and Sunday at the Kosciusko County Fairgrounds. Relay For Life is a yearly event in its 34th year and will be from 3 p.m. to 9 a.m. The opening ceremony will begin at 3 p.m. Saturday and end with a closing ceremony at 9 a.m. Sunday. This is 18 hours of celebrations, fun, music and food all for a great cause, to finish the fight against cancer. The theme this year is “Hunting, Fishing and Sporting for a Cure.” All cancer survivors, no matter if it has been one day or one decade since their diagnosis, are invited to a Survivors Dinner at 4 p.m. Saturday at the fairgrounds. “More people are surviving cancer than ever before and I am one of them,” said Jimmy Bouterse, Relay media sponsor. Bouterse is a seven-year Stage 4 Squamous Cell Carcinoma cancer survivor. “In fact, there are nearly 14 million cancer survivors living today thanks to the advances we’ve made in the fight against cancer,” Bouterse said. He said he is living proof of the disease, but there is still more work to be done to ensure everyone diagnosed with cancer celebrates more birthdays. Bouterse said attending the Relay changed his life. “The Victory Lap is one of the most moving experiences of my cancer journey,” Bouterse said. “Each year I’m overwhelmed by the crowed of people who surround the track cheering on survivors like me.” He said it reminds him he is not alone in his fight. A luminaria ceremony will be at 10 p.m. Saturday for those who have been touched by cancer and those who have lost their battle. Candles are lit inside bags filled with sand, each one bearing the name of a person touched by cancer. “The sight of the luminaria glowing in the darkness is breathtaking,” Bouterse said. To register a team, visit www.relayforlife.org/kosciuskocountyin People who would like to make a donation for a luminaria bag in honor or in memory of someone touched by cancer, call Bouterse at 574-265-7910, Deb Fitzsimmons at 574-527-2404 or Juliana Newbill at 574-257-9789. Luminaria also will be available at the event. All donations received for luminaria and the relay are used to fund the American Cancer Society’s mission to save lives.
