Relay reaches goal Cranberry event aids cancer fight
CRANBERRY TWP — The 12th annual Relay for Life of Greater Cranberry Township this weekend raised its goal of $145,000 for cancer research.
“This is to celebrate and fight back,” said Becky Wiley, a co-leading organizer of the event.
There were 463 registered participants at North Boundary Park. Teams walked for 24 hours to help raise money and awareness for the American Cancer Society.
They raised slightly more than $100,000 before the walk began Saturday morning.
“It's a party with a purpose,” said Liz Peterson, the other leading organizer. “That purpose is to end cancer.”
Both Wiley and Peterson said they got involved with the Relay after seeing friends and family members diagnosed with the disease.
“I don't want to see another person have cancer,” Wiley said.
Both said planning the event is a yearlong process.
“We'll do a wrap-up next week, then start again for next year,” Wiley said.
Peterson said the mood of the event changes throughout the day, shifting from celebratory to reflective at times.
“We relay for 24 hours,” Peterson said. “We don't stop because cancer patients don't stop with treatment. It's an indication of the highs and lows of a patient's journey.”
Laura McCurdy with the American Cancer Society said the Cranberry event is one of the largest in Western Pennsylvania.
“The Relay for Life is very important in advocacy efforts,” she said. “For us here in Western Pennsylvania, it means $10 million in funding coming back.”
McCurdy said the Cranberry event brings representatives from many of its surrounding municipalities.
“The idea for Relay for Life is to create a small village for 24 hours,” she said. “And it's well represented today.”
Laura Dadey of Cranberry Township, was participating in memory of her daughter, Elizabeth, who died two years ago, nine months after being diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare pediatric cancer.“She had just turned 21,” Dadey said.Dadey's team name was Elizabeth's Birthday Wish made in honor of her daughter's wish to participate in Cranberry's Relay for Life event.However, Elizabeth had become too sick by that time and was not able walk.“We've been here ever since,” Dadey said.Elizabeth was a 2010 graduate of Seneca Valley High School and attended the University of Dayton, where she participated in Relay for Life events.“A group of her friends from Dayton are out here today,” Dadey said.The team raised more than $10,000 alone in honor of Elizabeth.“Elizabeth was the most giving person,” Dadey said, adding her daughter would have turned 23 about a week ago.Joan McConahy of Jackson Township was walking in honor of her son, Sam, who died at age 7 in 2002 from a brain tumor.“This is our 14th Relay,” she said.Sam participated in the first two relays at the Seneca Valley High School.McConahy said she has seen the event grow in Cranberry during the past decade.“Every year more and more people are here,” she said. “It's great to see.”She said the participants all get to know one another through the event and sharing their stories.“We see old friends and meet new ones,” she said. “It's a great event.”The Callery Volunteer Fire Company was walking in full firefighting equipment during the hot day.“I'm doing it mainly because a fourth good friend of mine was recently diagnosed with cancer,” said Lynn Bourchier, captain of the Callery Volunteer Fire Company.Bourchier said it was exhausting to walk in the gear, but said it was nothing compared to the battle those fighting cancer face.“They make sacrifices daily,” she said. “We do this to pay respect to them.”Bourchier said she hoped the firefighters marching around the field helped others battle the heat.“We've had people telling us that we're motivating them to walk,” she said. “It's a small thing we can do for folks fighting cancer.”
