Relay more than a step in the right direction

On Jan. 13, 1996, my life took a major detour that eventually led me to where I am today, event chair for the 2012 Mat-Su Relay for Life.

I was three months pregnant with my first child when my normally confident and courageous mother called me sobbing so hard I could barely understand her. I had never heard her like this and I burst into tears without knowing why. Before long, I heard the message - she had found a lump in her breast. Mom kept repeating, between sobs, how afraid she was that she would never meet her first grandchild.

After that initial panic and vulnerability, mom began her treatment with the optimism and perseverance I had grown to expect from her. She had a mastectomy and several weeks of chemotherapy. With each milestone on her journey, she stayed positive and determined. Less than a year later she cried tears of joy as she held my infant son, Kurt, for the first time. Within five years she was considered a survivor, and now 15 years later she is still a confident and courageous cancer survivor. My mom is the reason I Relay.

Relay for Life is an overnight event where teams of eight to 15 people spend 12 to 24 hours walking or running around a track to raise money to fight cancer. It's a relay, with at least one member of each team on the track during the entire event. Relay teams raise money throughout the year prior to the event in a variety of fundraising activities.

We are fortunate to have a fabulous team of excited and motivated individuals on our Mat-Su Relay for Life leadership team. While we do have a couple of veterans, the majority of our committee chairs are either new to their positions or totally new to the Relay for Life experience. This blend of experience brings a dynamic collaboration of institutional knowledge and fresh inspiration to create a truly magical event for this year's Relay for Life.

Relay for Life begins at Wasilla High School on June 8 with a lap honoring survivors and their caregivers - an inspirational time when survivors are invited to circle the track together and help celebrate the victories we've achieved over cancer. We also recognize and celebrate caregivers at Relay for Life. These individuals give time, love and support to friends, family, neighbors and coworkers who face cancer. After dark, we honor people who have been touched by cancer and remember loved ones lost to the disease during the luminary ceremony. Candles are lit inside bags filled with sand, each one bearing the name of a person touched by cancer, and participants often walk a lap in silence.

People often ask how the American Cancer Society spends the money raised by RFL. In the broadest sense, the money goes toward eliminating cancer as a major health concern. Money raised is central to supporting the ACS mission, which focuses on research, education, advocacy and service.

• Research: ACS is the largest nonprofit, non-government funder of cancer research in the United States, having spent more than $2.5 billion on cancer research since 1946.

• Education: ACS teaches people how to avoid preventable cancers, when to get early detection tests, what treatment options exist and how to care for cancer patients.

• Advocacy: Legislative advocacy is another area where ACS makes a difference. Changes in laws can impact millions of people, expanding and enhancing the American Cancer Society's mission to eliminate cancer as a major health problem.

• Service: ACS provides free around-the-clock information and support by phone at (800) 227-2345 or online at cancer.org every day and night of the year. It provides transportation for cancer patients to their medical appointments and treatments, help people cope with their illness through support groups, offer scholarships to young cancer survivors, provide a summer camp to children with cancer and provide organized opportunities for the public to join the fight against cancer.

The community is invited and encouraged to attend the 2012 Mat-Su Relay for Life Kickoff Party from 6 to 7:30 p.m., Jan. 25 at Mat-Su Regional Medical Center. Guests will hear stories from speakers, honor cancer survivors and learn how to organize relay teams.

Anyone can form a relay team to help support this worthy cause. Interested individuals will learn about sponsorship opportunities and various committees they can serve. Appetizers, beverages and fabulous prizes will be provided. All teams registering at the kickoff event will receive a $50 discount and can register their teams for only $100.

Each lap around a track at an American Cancer Society Relay for Life event is more than a step forward in the fight against cancer; it's the firm footing we need to navigate the path to a world with less cancer and more birthdays.

Laurie Christansen is the 2012 Mat-Su Relay for Life coordinator.