Relay for Life
Published 11:28 pm Friday, May 4, 2007
- Pat Gallagher / The Valdossta Daily Times Jeanette Roberson with her flowers leads the walk as the Relay For Life kicks off in support of cancer reserch Friday night.
VALDOSTA — The community came out to support the Relay for Life Friday night, as cancer survivors and surviving family members and friends joined in a walk toward a cure.
The Valdosta Middle School Track was filled with people and tents as folks came out for what cancer survivor Gail Green described as “the biggest slumber party of South Georgia.” As the Smokin’ Band played uptempo beats like Wilson Pickett’s “Mustang Sally,” there seemed to be a theme of celebration in the air — for life and for victory — as the walk began.
The relay kicked off at 7 p.m. with Jeanette Roberson cutting the cancer walk ribbon. Finishing up the first lap of the walk, known as the Survivors’ Lap, Roberson fought to hold back tears as she thought of the journey she has taken over the past seven years.
Overcoming an initial battle with breast cancer in 2000, a second bout with cancer would come just two years later for Roberson, now 65. During an examination in 2002, “The doctors took five of my lymph nodes, and of those, three had cancer. Then, from January to July 2003, they took me through the rounds with chemotherapy,” she said.
Roberson is the primary caregiver of her husband, who undergoes dialysis treatment. Since the couple moved here to be closer to family, Roberson says that this entire community has become her family, although she will always remember the source of her strength.
“When I was ill, I would e-mail my friends and tell them to pray for me, and I had an imaginary basket beside my bed that I would put all those prayers in,” she said. “Whenever I felt lonely, I would reach in that imaginary basket, grab one and lay my hand to my head, and I would let the oil of that prayer fall from the top of my head to my feet. I believe that God is always there. He’s that silent partner at 2 a.m. in the morning, as well as the one who makes us love all through the day.”
This year’s relay started off with more than $215,000, said Relay chairwoman Amy Stevenson. Valdosta State University was recognized for a donation of $34,000, following a first-time Relay walk on the front lawn, organized by VSU students.
As more than 60 registered teams followed behind the cancer survivors Friday, and many other groups and individuals joined in on the day of the event, more funds are expected to come in, making this the biggest Relay fund-raising event ever.
“We had 20 more registered teams than last year, and we came in the walk with an amount which is significantly higher than we’ve seen in previous years,” Stevenson said. “There has been a lot more participation, and we’re very grateful for all the publicity we received. We couldn’t do this without every aspect of the community helping out in one extreme or another.”
The Relay will continue at the Valdosta Middle School Track through this morning.