May 2, 2004


Ready, set, relay

Willow Glen’s annual Relay For Life is May 15, 16

By Carol Rosen
Editor

There’s still time to join Willow Glen’s annual Relay For Life. Set for May 15-16 at the Willow Glen High School track, the American Cancer Society event will offer 24 hours of walking the track and helping those who are or who might become ill with cancer. The event also features a number of activities and fund-raisers to help support patients and survivors.

By mid April about 16 teams had signed up, but there is room for a lot more. Teams can be friends who want to spend the 24 hours together, a group with a common purpose—to help someone suffering from the horrible disease—or someone or a group that wants to give back to the community.

Those who want to be part of the celebration for life, but don’t have a team or have fewer than 10 people needed for a team, are welcome to come out and the people in charge will help find teams.
The program begins at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 15 with welcome speeches followed at approximately 10:30 with the Survivor Lap. A reception will be held for survivors immediately following the lap—which is often actually two or more laps—in the Hospitality Tent.

On hand that day will be Tami Garrison, the event’s food and hospitality person. Garrison is a cancer survivor with a special reason to relay. In 1995, she was diagnosed with Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia (APL) and given two weeks to live. Because the disease had depleted her blood platelets, she was unable to receive chemotherapy. Doctors had to get her body to believe it was in a state of remission before they could administer chemo.

The only way to achieve this state was with an experimental drug called All- Transretinoic Acid (ATRA), which had not received FDA approval. The American Cancer Society provided the drug free, with only the stipulation that Garrison’s results be shared with them for their study.

“The drug eventually received FDA approval. Called Vesinoid, it is now used for treatment. Without that drug, I probably would not have survived. Giving up 24 hours of my life to help raise funds for such a worthy cause when they helped me save my life is very rewarding for me. It is a way for me to give back for what they did for me,” Garrison said.

She has been active getting ready for the relay. Paradiso Catering is providing a hamburger lunch and chicken dinner on Saturday. Tickets will be sold for both meals on the field. As usual, pizza will be delivered at midnight and Cinelux Theaters is providing popcorn and candy for midnight snacks.

On Sunday morning, Krispy Kreme is supplying doughnuts and Noah’s Bagels of Willow Glen is providing bagels. A pancake breakfast that includes sausage and juice will be offered, beginning at 7 a.m., for $3 per person. All proceeds will be donated back to the Willow Glen Relay.