PINE BUSH – The Pine Bush Firehouse was packed for the occasion this Monday as the Pine Bush Relay for Life officially began its preparations for the Relay, which will be on June 13.

"Celebrate — Remember — Fight Back!" is the motto of the national Relay for Life movement, and it set the tone for this campaign, the fifth year that Pine Bush has run the Relay.

Dawn Kemp of the American Cancer Society spoke first, and she congratulated Pine Bush on running the biggest Relay in the county. "Others are gunning for you," she said, "but I'm sure you will be keeping your title for another year."

"Pine Bush is famous for its creative teams, this is a wonderful community, and it runs a great Relay."

Jim Mulvey, who was emcee for the night, said that there were now 30 teams signed up, with 171 participants.

Zach Cole and then Stephanie Berchtold took the microphone to explain why they are passionate supporters of the Relay. It seems that when family and friends are stricken by cancer, it awakens the need to organize and fight back against this most deadly of diseases. Berchtold has formed her own team, the "Dedicated" team, because, as she said, "I became completely dedicated to Relay, to making a difference."

The first important event will be "Paint the Town Purple" on May 1. Sheri Herbert of Walden Savings Bank spoke about what is being organized for that day.

"The signs for this year have been printed. They cost $10, and we want everyone to hold back from putting them up until May 1. That way it will maximize the effect. On May 1 there will be an event behind the Cup n' Saucer Diner billed as a 'Moment of Hope,' which will be followed by a 'Walk of Hope' around the loop. There are 471 'useable' concrete sections of sidewalk on Boniface Drive, and they are being sold for $3 a section to be drawn on in chalk for the day."

Other dates to take note of include May 14, which will be Logistics Night, when the planning for the Relay will be firmed up, and June 4, which is Bank Night, when teams must deliver the money they've raised. These meetings will be at the Town of Crawford Government Center.

Donna Henke then spoke about the importance of getting solid participation in the Cancer Prevention Study 3. "This is a one-time only opportunity for us. We need to get as many eligible people as we can to sign up for this study. All that they have to do is fill out a questionnaire and give a small blood sample. And then, every two years afterwards fill out a short questionnaire that will come in the mail."

Henke noted that "the first two CPS studies made the definitive link between smoking and cancer. This study can lead to even more important discoveries."

Henke then said, "The blood samples aren't going to be analyzed right now. They'll be frozen. And then, if someone who has given blood gets cancer down the road, then they'll be looked at to see if there's something in that blood that matches up with other people who've gotten cancer, who are in the CPS study. Then the researchers can see if there's a genetic cause, or something else. That's why it's so important. "

Anyone who wants to participate in this study should contact Donna Henke at 744-8017. "I need to know roughly how many people we will have for CPS 3, before Relay, so that I can give Quest Diagnostic some idea. If we say we have 300 and then 600 show up, it's going to make things difficult. The CPS study will be taking place between 4:30 and 8:30, so they need to know how many people to bring to take care of it."

The American Cancer Society's Relay for Life campaign has been going on since 1986, although Dr. Gordon Klatt lit the flame with his grueling 24 hour run at Baker Stadium a year earlier. Out to publicize the battle against cancer, Klatt ran 83 miles that day and inspired others to begin the Relay campaign.

COMMENTS about this article (1)