What a difference a day makes!
By: Mae Rhine
Cancer survivors from the area and their families are asking for your help.
The American Cancer Society’s annual Relay for Life will take place May 31-June 1 at South Hunterdon Regional High School this year.
Teams, sponsors and volunteers are desperately needed.
Here’s how it works. Each person of the 10-member team tries to get 10 sponsors to donate $10 each. That’s $1,000 per team. Right now there are only about 20 teams. North Hunterdon Regional High School’s relay in northern Hunterdon County in Annandale already has 75 to 80 teams registered.
West Amwell Elementary School has a team and is having car washes, hoagie sales and other fund-raisers to support its team. Chairpersons Norma and Erik Zimmerman of Ringoes also said there are two sixth-grade girls from East Amwell who came to them, wanting to help.
Food donations are needed. Sponsors also are needed for signs at $100 each that are displayed along the track that cancer survivors and volunteers walk during the day to raise money.
The Zimmerman’s son, Erik Jr., who will be 12 next month, participates. At 17 months, he was diagnosed with a brain tumor. He has been cancer-free for almost nine years.
But even he mustered the strength last year to participate despite suffering a mini-stroke the day before the event.
If he can do it, you can, too. That includes teen-agers; South’s teams are missing significant participation in that age group, unlike North Hunterdon’s event.
The event starts with opening ceremonies at noon Saturday, and continues with teams walking the track, a luncheon for cancer survivors and a guest at 1 p.m., musical entertainment, a luminary candle service at 9:30 p.m.
It continues Sunday with a prayer service at 8 a.m. and concludes that morning.
Even if you can’t stay for 24 hours, consider forming or joining a team. Sponsor one of the walkers. Sponsor a sign. Donate food. Offer to help cook. Do something to help continue the research, prevention and treatment of cancer.
Call Mrs. Zimmerman at 397-8892 or Veronica Dale of the American Cancer Society at (908) 782-7412.