Picture yourself doing any daily chore — standing in line at the grocery store for instance — with two strangers in front of you.
Now, picture that one of these three people will be diagnosed with cancer in his or her lifetime.
Makes you look at things a little bit differently, doesn’t it?
In the United States, this is the statistic. According to the American Cancer Society, one in three people will receive the heartbreaking news in their lifetime that they have cancer.
Relay for Life was created by the American Cancer Society (ACS) 25 years ago to give people the opportunity to fight back against the disease that has claimed so many lives. Once a year, Americans are given the chance to celebrate the survivors, mourn those who have been lost and raise money for the reasearch and treatment of cancer.
This year, the Lake Orion Relay for Life event will be held at Friendship Park on the corner of Clarkston and Baldwin Road. Relay for Life is a 24-hour event starting Saturday, June 20 at 10 a.m. with the opening ceremony, and continuing until Sunday morning.
‘A big part that has been lacking in our relay for the past couple of years is the support of the public,? Kyle Dykman, committee member of the Relay for Life in Lake Orion said.
There is still time to sign up for the Relay for Life at relayforlife.org/lakeorionmi.
Money can be donated to any individual on the Web site or with various teams on the day of the relay. Any questions can be directed towards ACS representative Erin Semmens at 248-663-3448 or Erin.Semmens@cancer.org.
The survivor ceremony is at noon on June 20. Any survivor, whether they were diagnosed more than 50 years ago or on the day of the event, is welcome to take part in the survivor activities and should contact Semmens.
At 3 p.m., there will be a live auction for items such as jewelry and baked goods. There will also be games, a dunk tank and bounce houses.
Dykman said, in her opinion, the Luminaria Ceremony is the most moving ritual. The ceremony takes place at 10 p.m. Bags are decorated and filled with sand and candles. They are positioned all around the track to honor those cancer has taken, as well as those who have survived.
The ceremony is commemorated by a silent lap around the track. Dykman stressed that the public is more than welcome to attend this ceremony.
Dykman has been taking part in the Relay for Life for the past seven years.
‘I relay in memory of my husband’s grandmother and aunt. I relay in memory of my friend and my son’s first grade teacher, Debbie Rouse. I relay in honor of my stepmother, a 12-year inflammatory breast cancer survivor. Mostly, I relay in the hope that I will never have to relay for my son, Nick, who turns 19 on the day of the relay, or my three nieces,? she said.