Participants in the 2009 Relay For Life of Whitfield County are counting down to Friday, June 5. This is the date when survivors and Relay teams will walk throughout the night at the North Georgia Fairgrounds to celebrate life and to honor the memory of friends and loved ones touched by cancer. Their mantra: “Celebrate, Remember, Fight Back!”

At dusk, the lights are dimmed and hundreds of candles, each one a tribute to a cancer patient, will line the track. According to James Smith, 2009 Relay chairman, the lighting of the candles is a very special moment in the Relay event.

“As each candle displays the name of those being honored or remembered, the luminaries allow us to celebrate those who have fought and survived cancer and to remember those who have lost the battle,” said Smith. “The luminary ceremony is a big part of the Relay. Seeing cancer survivors, families and friends coming together to light the luminaries is a testament to the courage, hope and will of the human spirit. We are all fighting back together.”

Smith has been involved with the Relay for several years as a team and committee member. He walks with “Sheila’s Crew,” a team named for his mother-in-law, Sheila Aaron.

“I lost my grandfather, father-in-law and other family members to cancer,” Smith said. “I want to give back to my community, and the Relay helps me to do that. I am able to help raise funds for cancer research and other patient services provided by the ACS. My hope is for one day to see cancer eliminated.”

To reach their team goal of raising $18,000, Sheila’s Crew has delivered lunch plates to businesses, sponsored a concert at the Eleventh Baptist Church, and sold scented candles. Members are also selling Ugly Mug Coffee, auctioning off a handmade quilt and holding a yard sale, in addition to selling luminaries.

“Our team goal is to raise $18,000,” said Smith. “But as chairman of the Relay, I am working to help Whitfield County meet its goal of raising $125,000. I want to achieve both of these milestones, but my personal goal is to see the fairground track lined with luminaries on June 5.”

Natalie Phipps, community manager for the American Cancer Society, said cancer is America’s number one health concern.

“One in three Americans will be diagnosed with cancer during their lifetime,” said Phipps. “Funds raised at Relay For Life help pay for life-saving cancer research, cancer awareness education and patient services. Thanks to ongoing research and new developments, we have been able to dramatically increase the cancer survival rate. There are now more than 11 million cancer survivors in the United States today.”

“Relay For Life generates the funds that help the ACS achieve these amazing results,” she said. “And the best thing about the Relay is that it is incredibly easy to participate and make a difference. Whether you choose to start or join a team, support the various fundraisers, or purchase a luminary for a loved one, anyone can be a part of Relay and help save lives.”

For more information about participating in the Relay or purchasing a luminary, please contact the American Cancer Society at (706) 278-1960 or visit www.relayforlife.org/whitfield.www.relayforlife.org/whitfield.