STAR-BULLETIN / 2005
Dianne Schmucker, right, served up cole slaw, part of a plate lunch at the "Cure Cafe," during the Relay for Life last July in Kailua. Volunteer Jane Henley waited with the potato salad.
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Relay for Life is a way to get in the cancer fight
Islanders are urged to join in the fight against cancer by volunteering or participating in the American Cancer Society's overnight Relays for Life.
Oahu relays will be held starting at 7 p.m. Saturday at Kailua Beach Park (call 262-5124 for information) and 7 p.m. July 15 at Magic Island (595-7544).
They are the among the last of 24 fundraising Relays for Life scheduled this year by the ACS in Hawaii and Guam with Bank of Hawaii as a major sponsor.
Other overnight walks scheduled July 15 will start at noon at the Mililani High School athletic field, contact 486-8420, and 6 p.m. at the Francis Wong Stadium in Hilo, 935-9763.
Walks are planned on Maui starting at 7 p.m. Saturday at Kalama Park, South Maui, 205-3420, and 7 p.m. July 22 at the War Memorial Soccer Field, Central Maui, 283-0122.
A walk will begin at 6 p.m. Oct. 28 at Waimea Park on the Big Island, 334-0442.
Bank of Hawaii is sponsoring eight relays, with at least 85 Relay for Life teams on the Big Island, Oahu, Kauai, Lanai, Maui and Guam and 43 teams for the Magic Island Walk.
Hawaii Pacific Relay for Life events last year drew 31,800 participants and raised nearly $1.75 million.
Cancer is second to heart disease as the leading cause of deaths in Hawaii. It accounts for an average of 1,700 deaths annually -- roughly one out of every five deaths in the state, according to the cancer society.
An estimated 1.3 million new cancer cases will be diagnosed nationally this year, including more than 5,000 in Hawaii, the ACS said.
Relay for Life is the cancer society's major activity to raise funds to help save lives through cancer research, early detection and prevention education, advocacy efforts and patient services.
The American Cancer Society Hawaii Pacific Inc. helps hundreds of cancer patients in Hawaii and Guam with lodging assistance while undergoing treatment, camps for children who had or have cancer, providing Reach for Recovery volunteers to talk to women diagnosed with breast cancer, transportation for cancer patients and wigs, bras, medical equipment and other gift items.
For more information on the Relays for Life or to register a team or survivor or volunteer, call the relay contact number or 1-800-ACS-2345.