Local participants are joining together March 9 for the annual Relay For Life of Kendall at Baptist Hospital of Miami to help beat our biggest rival – cancer. The event starts at noon.
“For me research is the only way to find a cure for cancer. The American Cancer Society gives 79 percent of their funds to their lifesaving mission and program services. This is why the Relay For Life event is so important to me, because it’s a vehicle that will get us closer to the cure of cancer,” said Jackie Simmons, six-time cancer survivor and volunteer at the Relay For Life of Kendall.
The American Cancer Society (ACS) is the only organization fighting cancer on every front. Funds raised from Relay For Life events allow the ACS to attack cancer in dozens of ways, each of them critical to achieving a world without cancer – from developing breakthrough therapies and innovative research, to building supportive communities that come together to help those affected by cancer with access to treatment. The ACS provides empowering resources to deploying activists to raise awareness and develop game-changing approaches to address the cancer burden for all people.
Local survivor and relay spokesperson Simmons understands first-hand how vital access to treatment is. “My first cancer was in 2000. In that time treatment was very hard. I pulled through, but when I was diagnosed with my 5th cancer, which was stage 4+, I hesitated on going through the same process. I did it thanks to new medicines that offset the side effects of chemotherapy, which have been developed through research. Today I’m alive and happy I tried it.”
Founded by Dr. Gordy Klatt in Tacoma, Wash., in 1985, the Relay For Life movement of 3.5 million participants across the world unite at more than 4,500 events to celebrate people who have been touched by cancer, remember loved ones lost, and take action for lifesaving change. Symbolizing the battle waged around the clock by those facing cancer, the event can last up to 24 hours and empowers communities to take a stand against cancer. Since 1985, Relay For Life events in the U.S. have raised more than $6.3 billion. Join or donate to the Relay For Life of Kendall by visiting www.relayforlife.org/kendallfl.
