| News - Friday, January 30, 2009
Because breast cancer never sleeps
Volunteers prepare for sixth annual Relay for Life event; rally next week
by Casey Weiss
One weekend a year, Cuesta Park becomes a place of community and inspiration for Marcia Stein as she walks with hundreds of other cancer survivors and supporters in the annual Relay for Life.
Stein is an eight-year survivor of breast cancer, and now calls herself a "Relay junkie," walking in fundraisers throughout the Bay Area.
This year marks the sixth anniversary of the Mountain View Relay, which will be held May 30 and 31 at Cuesta Park. Relay for Life races take place throughout the country, and last year participants nationwide raised $4 billion — $70,000 in Mountain View alone — to fight breast cancer.
This year Mountain View organizers are already planning a rally to be held next Thursday at the YMCA, allowing volunteers to go over the basics of the upcoming event.
"Going to those walks is a great way to feel great about yourself and your future, while helping others," said Stein, a Cupertino resident.
The Mountain View Relay for Life event attracts about 500 local residents — some with similar stories to Stein, others just supporting the cause — who walk for 24 hours to raise money for cancer research and support services through the American Cancer Society.
They walk for 24 hours straight, organizers say, because cancer never sleeps.
Teams of family members, coworkers and friends sign up together, making sure someone is walking the Cuesta Park trails at all times during the day-and-night fundraiser. Participants set up tents, and organizers provide entertainment and some snacks.
"There is something real special about Relay," said local event co-chair Kathie Sutherland, also a breast cancer survivor. "It is really all about cancer — it's for the caregivers, survivors, people who have lost a loved one and people who want to join the fight."
Survivors participate for free, and the race begins with a "survivors lap," honoring all those members who have beat cancer. In the evening, candles line the trail in honor of those who have died from the disease.
Of all the races she participates in, Stein says the Mountain View fundraiser is especially peaceful and contemplative.
"You see survivors anywhere from babies to people in their 90s," Stein said. "And we are all in it together."
INFORMATION:
Organizers are holding a Relay for Life rally on Thursday, Feb. 5, from 6 to 7 p.m. at the El Camino YMCA, 2400 Grant Road, Mountain View, where they will go over the basics of Relay for Life such as forming a team, volunteering and fundraising.
The Relay for Life event is May 30 and 31 at Cuesta Park in Mountain View. For more information about the rally or the Relay, contact Kathie Sutherland at (650) 988-7532 or kksutherla@aol.com, or Adriana Caldera at (408) 688-0117 or adriana.caldera@cancer.org.
E-mail Casey Weiss at cweiss@mv-voice.com | 
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