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THE JACKSON HERALD
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2010
Relay for Life kickoff celebration held recently
BY SANDRA FITE
THE FACT that cancer
knows no age boundaries and
that no family is immune
from this disease was driven
home Thursday night at the
American Cancer Society's
Relay For Fife kickoff cel
ebration for 2010. Howard
Pollock, Jefferson, and his
four-year-old granddaughter,
Harlie Ray, daughter of John
and Jenn Ray, were intro
duced as the 2010 honorary
co-chairs for the relay. These
two families have been hit
doubly hard.
On July 23, 2007, Howard
turned 57 and two days later
he learned that he had can
cer. “To learn that you have
cancer is something that can
take the wind out of your
sails very quickly," Pollock
said. “When you have been
going all out doing the things
that you want to do and then
to not have the energy to
do much of anything, really
hurts," he said. Pollock has
always been very active in the
community and has coached
many ball teams through the
years.
Harlie could not attend the
celebration because of her
lowered immune system so
her mother, Jenn, represented
Harlie. “On April 23, 2009,
we went to the doctor for a
well child check-up. Harlie
had a runny nose that we
thought was a cold. Three
days later we were told that
we were dealing with leu
kemia,” she said. “We were
shocked because we thought
we had a happy, healthy pre
school girl."
The family was sent to
Augusta for blood work and
learned that it truly was leu
kemia and they learned the
course of action that they
would be using.
Harlie cannot attend school
now because of her immune
system but she is now in
remission. “July 1, 2011,
is the finish date we have
been given for the end of
her chemo," Ray said. “We
are really looking forward to
that time. We want to thank
everyone for their wonder
ful support and their prayers.
We have great people in this
community and they have
done so much for Harlie and
for us." It is hoped that
Harlie will be well enough
to make an appearance at the
relay.
Special recognition was
given to Mark Valentine,
Tanger Outlets, general man
ager, and Twyla Davis, assis
tant general manager, for
their help and support during
the October Breast Cancer
Awareness Program and the
5K Run held in December
that benefited the ACS. They
contributed $28,000 that
was raised during these two
events.
Ashley Morrow, ACS ser
vices representative, spoke
on what the ACS has to offer
the community. There are
free services, free places for
patients and families to stay,
Road to Recovery programs,
Look Good-Feel Better pro
grams, I Can Cope programs,
Reach To Recovery programs
and the free cancer answer
line at 1-800-ACS-2345
which is available 24 hours a
day, seven days a week.
The Road To Recovery
program offers drivers to take
patients to their treatment
appointments when there is
no other means of transporta
tion. The ACS was awarded
$6000 from Jackson EMC
for funding this program.
This allows for reimburse
ment to drivers for their help.
Seven drivers in Jackson
County were recognized for
their services this past year.
They were: Nancy Ruta,
Sherry Tiller, Bob Tiller, Gail
Banks, Larry Banks, Eleanor
Brannen and Patty Whiten.
Volunteers are needed for all
of the programs and if you
are interested please contact
Morrow at 706-549-4893.
The survivors in the audi
ence were recognized and
were given a special book of
poetry.
Awards were given to the
All Star Teams for the 2009
relay. Jefferson First Baptist
was the top team, raising
$12,290.
Steve Kinney, committee
member, spoke about spon
sorship for the event. A $500
sponsor will have their name
and logo placed on the back
of the event t-shirt. A $250
sponsor will have their name
placed on a totable lunch bag
that will be presented to all
the survivors. A $150 spon
sorship will place your name
on a sign to be placed around
the track, and for $100, $50
and $25 you can purchase an
ad in the program.
Committee members asked
people to volunteer to be on
the relay committee to help
plan the event and work on
everything related to having
a wonderful relay.
There are over 2000 cancer
survivors in Jackson County.
Each year at the event there
are approximately 150 that
attend. There is a need to
reach all the survivors and
invite them to the relay so
that they can show that can
cer can be beat. There is
new research that is bring
ing about discoveries of new
medications,and treatments
that will lead to a cure. The
ACS has been involved in
every major cancer break
through during the last
century. There are several
ACS grants that are going
to schools in Georgia at the
present time. The commit
tee asks that every cancer
survivor attend and invite 10
more survivors to join you.
Everyone else needs to invite
20 survivors and caregivers
to attend. We are mak
ing history and we will find
a cure, committee members
state.
The theme for this year’s
relay is “Happy Birthday is
our Victory Song” because a
world with less cancer means
a world with more birth
days. Everyone was asked to
remember Harlie, the four-
year-old honorary chair, and
help give her many more
birthdays. The ACS Relay
For Life represents the hope
that those lost to cancer will
never be forgotten, that those
who face cancer will be sup
ported and that one day can
cer will be eliminated.
The 2010 Relay For Life
will be held at East Jackson
Comprehensive High School
on June 4-5. Everyone in
Jackson County is asked to
take part in this event in some
way. Form a team, be a spon
sor, buy an ad, give money to
team members and come out
to support the event. There
is no finish line until we
find a cure! Will you help us
reach that finish line? For
information on the event, call
706-367-8574,706-367-9721
or706-549-4893.
One in every 100 people in
the United States will partici
pate in a relay in 2010. Will
you be one of those people?
CROWD
The room was nearly packed to capacity Thursday
night at the Jackson Electric Membership Corporation
building for the county’s Relay for Life kickoff dinner.
TOP DONATORS ANNOUNCED
Nikki Head and Michelle Madden announce top dona
tors at the Relay for Life kickoff dinner Thursday night
at the Jackson EMC building.
TAKING PART
Howard Pollock and Jenn Ray, Harlie Ray’s grandfather
and mother are shown above at the Relay for Life kickoff
dinner Thursday night at the Jackson EMC building.
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