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Cancer Survivors, Friends, Family Join Forces for Relay for Life

Nearly 80 cancer survivors gathered at American Cancer Society's Relay For Life to celebrate and remember

Bob Schlappal of Mentor sat quietly at the table holding a special package in his arms, his third grandson, Chase, who was born nearly a month ago.

“I look forward to this every year,” said Schlappal. “We always make new friends and the family gets involved. It’s a very rewarding and great experience.”

Schlappal, and his wife, Terry, were among nearly 80 cancer survivors who participated in the  Relay For Life held all day Saturday and into Sunday morning on the grounds of and .

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Sponsored annually by the American Cancer Society, Relay For Life celebrates the lives of people who have battled and survived cancer. The Relay also  remembers loved ones lost and raises funds to help cancer patients fight back against the disease.

“I was diagnosed with cancer five years ago and my wife was diagnosed with the disease six years ago,” said Schlappal. “It was a very challenging time for us, but everyone in our family and our friends pulled together and we got through it.”

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Thanks to early detection and advanced medical treatments, more Americans are surviving cancer. According to data released by the National Cancer Institute in March, the number of cancer survivors rose by 20 percent from 9.8 million in 2001 to 11.7 million in 2007, the latest year for which figures had been evaluated by  NCI.  In 1971, the number of cancer survivors totaled just 3 million.

In Lake County, there are an estimated 2,000 cancer survivors.

Relay For Life began in 1985 when Dr. Gordy Klatt, a colorectal surgeon in Tacoma, WA, ran and walked around a track for 24 hours to raise money for the American Cancer Society. Since then, Relay has grown to the world’s largest movement to end the disease. 

The Relay in Mentor included 21 teams of people who pledged to take turns walking or running the track at Lake Catholic High School. Each team has a representative on the track at all times during the event, which officially began at noon Saturday and is scheduled to end Sunday at 10 a.m.

The overnight event is meant to symbolize the cancer patients’ journey through cancer, a disease that never sleeps, organizers say.  The teams also raise money for American Cancer Society patient programs and medical research.  Mentor’s Relay For Life goal is to raise $100,000. Last year, the Relay raised more than $90,000.

“This is the first time we participated in the event, so we decided to organize a team called Rainbow’s Promise with our families and friends,” said cancer survivor Rose Hepker of Mentor, whose sister, Sharon Brown of Madison, also is a cancer survivor. “We’re looking forward to participating in the Relay all day and camping out.”

After walking the track during the Relay’s opening ceremonies, Hepker and Brown began dancing to the hit song Celebration by Kool and the Gang.

“I am overwhelmed with all of the love from everybody here even from people I don’t even know,” said Brown with tears in her eyes. “It’s very moving.”

Relay participants also seemed to be moved when they heard the story of cancer survivor Pat Counselman of Mentor, who recently completed her treatment. She had been diagnosed with ovarian cancer last August and didn’t expect to be Relay’s guest speaker Saturday.

“There have been so many moments over these last 10 months,” said Counselman. “Yet precisely because of these moments and all of those people God placed in my life, I am stronger and I am wiser and I am a survivor.”

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