Have you heard the words “You Have Cancer” ? Has a loved one heard these words?
Anyone that hears these words is a survivor and has the support of the American Cancer Society. Money raised at Relay For Life Events help support these services and works to improve lives. I get asked every year if the money stays local. It does not go in a bank here in Jackson County, but does support our residents, in many ways. Seventy-three cents of each dollar goes to research, prevention, detection, education and patient support. Only twenty-seven cents goes to administrative cost.
Many of the research grants are at the University of Iowa. Research has helped patients as they go through cancer with new and more productive treatments. The American Cancer Society employs over 50 of their own researchers along with supporting many other grants throughout the country. Advocacy efforts to influence laws to help with cancer protection, detection and treatment.
Patients services is where the majority of the money raised goes. Examples are a 24 hour hotline that is manned by cancer survivors to give encouragement, courage and support. They know how the patient and families are feeling. The hotline can help you receive other services such as wigs, transportation and lodging information.
Hope Lodge is a place that many local people have used during their cancer journey. Hope Lodge has thirty one sites worldwide, with the closet one being in Iowa City.. Patients that qualify for Hope Lodge and one caregiver can stay for free. At Hope Lodge many groups bring food in for guests or come in and entertain them. At Hope Lodge each patient and meet with other families staying there also. If the patient is in the hospital, their care giver can still stay at Hope Lodge. Transportation is provided ass need to get to the hospital and back. This saves time and money with parking. All of this free to the family. Worldwide in 2024 15,649 nights were used. As we raise money, $100 will fund one night at Hope Lodge.
My goal is to education people to the resources that the American Cancer Society can provide for them. Relay For Life is Celebrating their 44th Birthday this year and Jackson County has been holding Relay since 1997. Covid did not stop us as we held events that had very limited contact.
Relay For Life this year will be held on June 27th from 5-10 PM. The event will be held inside of Pearson Hall at the Fairgrounds for the most part. This allows everyone to stay cool and dry if rain. We will have two food trucks serving food in the parking lot, Chuckies and Sweet Boutique will help provide supper and dessert for you. A bake sale will also be held inside of Pearson. Teddy Bear Mobile of Northeast Iowa will be returning this year. If you want to build an animal, they will have it and help you make it come to life. DJ Hyde will be providing music during the event along with Derek Grant on the bagpipe. Luminaries will be set up to make a track around person to honor all of those that have heard the words ”You have Cancer”. These bags and Butterflies can be purchased before Relay or that day.
Additional activities will be our Silent Auction that will begin at 5 and end at 7:30. We will have quilt raffle tickets for sale, Thank You Patty Edwards for the donation of the quilt. The drawing will be at 10 pm that evening and you do not need to be present to win. Our Opening Ceremony will be at 6 pm and the Luminary Ceremony at 8 pm.
Please check out our Facebook Page to see all of Sponsors and updates on events.
We hope to see many of you at Relay on June 27th as we work to Strike Out Cancer. If you have any questions call Marie Rossmann at 563-689-6715 or email me at [email protected]
