By Missy Madsen
Staff Writer

What would you say if there was a way to try and help those suffering from cancer? What if you had the chance to make a difference for those people?

Well, even though scientists haven’t found a cure for cancer, there is still a way the students here at WA can join in on the fight against it.  Relay for Life, a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society, takes place this year on June 10th-11th from 6pm to 6am at Stony Brook Middle School.

Relay for Life is a life-changing event that gives everyone a chance to celebrate the lives of people who are fighting, or have fought through cancer. There are different events that take place during Relay, some unique to the community, and others are universal, such as the survivor’s lap.  The survivor’s lap starts off Relay, and what happens is survivors are invited to circle the track along with the participants, or teams, to celebrate their strength and unite under the common wish that cancer could soon be eliminated.

In Relay different teams are in a competition to raise the most money to help find a cure for cancer.  The numerous number of teams,if they have raised enough money to stay overnight, camp out on the field for twelve hours. 

Relay was started by Dr. Gordy Klatt in Tacoma, Washington when he wanted to show his support for his patients battling and who had battled cancer.  Klatt decided to personally raise money for the fight by running marathons, something he loved. His friends and family watched him and cheered him on in his runs while donating for the cause, thus relay was born.

It may be too late to sign up to participate in Relay, but you can still support the cause by attending the event and contributing.