I open my paper, I see the article for the Annual Relay For Life, and in sheer shame I only see these names for teams for the event: three schools, only six local businesses, two teams from City Hall, the fire department and five teams from the Utility Departments of Andalusia, and that is it.

I know that times are hard at this moment, but people, cancer doesn’t care if you are struggling to pay the mortgage, or trying to put a child through college, or make payments on that new car you just had to have.

One in three people will be diagnosed with cancer in their life time, so sadly this means that someone you love, or yourself, could be one of these three, so why do we not support something to help find a cure?

When you join a team, or support the Relay, they are not asking for a million dollars, they are asking you to care, asking you to think about the survivors, asking you to think about the ones that lost their brave battle, is that so much to ask?

When you join, yes they do ask that you do a pledge of $200. Then you panic, why? If you break it down like this, then you will see that this is not a hard goal to reach.

I know that everyone knows at least 10 people, and if you are like me, you know more, and if you talk to them and you let them know what and why you are joining for the Relay, and ask for $10 apiece, then you will have your first $100.

Then you use your mind for gaining the rest of the pledge. Ask church members, places you do business with, family, friends, have a yard sale, involve the kids, have a bake sale, do anything that you know how to do to raise the money. What comes out of this in the long run? You are raising money that will go to research, hospital stays, medicine and family support for cancer patients and their families. I do believe that this is a good enough reason to try!

So here is my challenge to everyone. Start a team! You don’t have to be a business, you can be the girls that go out and eat every Saturday night, the guys that play a round of golf that same day. You can be the parent of a child that has just been diagnosed with cancer, or someone who has lost a loved one already to this disease. Whether it be five people or 50, or just one, we need you to show your support for this, please.

I am a survivor for three years now, and I am blessed every day that I wake up and place my feet on the floor! This will be my third Relay this year, and let’s just say that if you want to attend something that will change your lives forever, be at this event. Your heart will never be the same after this.

Susan Williamson Byrd

Andalusia