Cancer affects us all

Relay for Life is here this weekend as one the largest fundraising events in Fallon and brings awareness to cancer, one of the nation’s biggest killers.

Cancer has no boundaries as it affects people of all ages, walks of life, creeds and culture. Every year thousands of people fight some form of cancer, while scientists work around-the-clock to find a cure.

Participants in this weekend’s Fallon Relay for Life know of someone — parent, sibling, child, friend — who has survived cancer or died from it.

Every year the Fallon Relay for Life committee establishes goals to raise money for research and assistance. Fallon, like other communities in Nevada, sets out to make cancer a priority.

Relay for Life is the American Cancer Society’s annual fight against this disease. For every 100,000 people, approximately 321 individual dies from cancer each year, compared to 214 for heart-related deaths. Automobile-related deaths account for 15.5 deaths per 100,000.

Since the local dinner to kickoff the Fallon Relay for Life drive, different teams and organizations have been involved in numerous fundraisers. Last weekend, for example, Walgreens had a bake sale and more than a weekend ago, Kaia F.I.T.’s yard/rummage sale netted more than $1,000. Throughout the spring, the Walmart team has sold hotdogs, and the Fallon Rotary Club took to the links for their annual tournament that raises money for Relay for Life. Navy volunteers have also been involved in a number of fundraising events.

Meanwhile, the different teams have been busy raising money with Kaia F.I.T. and Team Rotary leading the pack.

This year’s goal is for the Fallon community to raise $60,000 by the end of this weekend. Relay for Life begins at 5 p.m. on Saturday with the survivor lap and continues until early Sunday morning at the middle school track. Organizers will recognize volunteers and give recognition to the teams and their fundraising efforts shortly before 8 a.m.

Those who have had cancer or know of people who have had or died from cancer walk laps around the track.

Furthermore, people can buy luminary bags, which are decorated bags with names of people who have suffered from cancer. Organizers said the fundraising has been challenging this year because of the economy, but they hope they can add to their current total by Sunday.

We commend the hundreds of people who will participate in the Fallon Relay for Life this weekend at the middle school and the thousands of people in Churchill County who have donated to this most worthwhile cause to help those afflicted by this terrible disease and to find a cure to eradicate cancer for good.

Editorials are written by the LVN Editorial Board and appear on Wednesdays.