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Community Corner

'Relay for Life' Comes to Queeny Park

Ballwin area residents plan to stay up all night this weekend in the name of fighting cancer.

The 2011 Relay for Life of West County is taking place 6 p.m.-6 a.m. Friday-Saturday at the Corporate Picnic Sight in . The event will raise money for the American Cancer Society.

Thirty relay teams and more than 300 individuals have already pledged to participate in the relay, and the event has raised more than $40,000 thus far.

April Dzubic, communications director for the American Cancer Society, said if this is the first you have heard of the relay only two days away, don’t worry about not having enough time to put together your own relay team or to go around raising donations. Dzubic said it is not too late to participate in Friday’s event and everybody is encouraged to come. 

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“We invite everyone to come out so they can support us there,” Dzubic said. “They can come out that day, and we will be doing a lot of things to honor suvivors and remember those who have passed. Teams will be fundraising, selling food, selling drinks and hosting games.”

Dzubic said that people are especially encouraged to bring their friends who are cancer survivors and for cancer survivors to bring themselves. Friday’s Relay for Life beings with the survivors' lap, in which those who have beaten cancer take the first lap around the track.

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“This is all about the survivors,” Dzubic said.

After the survivors' lap each of the 30 relay teams continues to have a member walking or running on the track all night until 6 a.m. Saturday. 

“The 12 hours overnight reflects what a cancer patient goes through,” Dzubic said. “We might get tired but we keep going. When a cancer patient is fighting they can’t stop their battle, they can't say they want to quit for a few days. Cancer doesn’t just quit, and neither will we.”

The Relay for Life began in 1985 in Tacoma, WA and has since spread around the world. Relay for Life has been in West County for more than five years and has been held previously at Parkway Central High School in 2006 and Kirkwood High School in 2010. More information about Friday’s Relay can be found here

The American Cancer Society funds cancer prevention and early detection programs, the advancement of cures and treatments as well as guiding cancer patients through every step of their challenging experience. 

Click here for a complete schedule of events.

Ballwin-Ellisville Patch plans to attend the Relay for Life West County, so check back Saturday for photos from the event.

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