Relay For Life is down walkers, but enthusiasm still burns strong
If anyone knows how to have hope in the midst of despair, it's cancer victims, survivors and the people who care for them.
All of them are tapping into that hope now while planning the annual Northern Kane County Relay For Life at Dundee-Crown High School.
In the week that remains before the May 2 event, organizers are working to attract more participants, sponsors and volunteers to help with their 12-hour fund-raising walk.
And even if they don't attract them, the event will still begin at 6 p.m. Cancer survivors and their caregivers who live in and around Dundee Township will still walk and ride the first and second laps around the school's track.
Teams of walkers will still follow. They raised the money that will be given to the American Cancer Society for research, wigs for patients who have lost their hair during chemotherapy and rides to treatment appointments.
And hopefully, other residents who attend and watch the event. Maybe someone in the crowd will come up with an answer why its participation has gone down.
If an answer is offered, give it to Genny Rehberg and Roger Ferguson, two of the Relay For Life coordinators at Dundee-Crown.
They don't know if it's the bad economy, apathy or timing of the event.
"We have fewer people help organize it to begin with," Rehberg said. "We lost 18 members of our organizing committee. We only have five members who regularly come to our meetings."
They ones who left got busy, sick, or dropped out for other reasons. The members remaining are left to organize team recruitment, publicity, sponsors, volunteers, refreshments and entertainment.
Participation is also down. In its heyday a few years ago, the Northern Kane County leg of the fundraiser had more than 100 teams participate. This year, only eight, totaling 44 walkers, signed up. It also had dozens of volunteers, many of them high school students who helped sell food and beverages and act as cheerleaders to weary walkers.
The idea behind the relay is to have team members on the track for the entire 12 hours. While some rested, others walked.
One of their messages was that cancer never sleeps. Another was that cancer touches many, many lives.
It still applies today, said Ferguson. He's survived kidney cancer and is battling prostate cancer. He'll be among the 20-25 survivors who take part.
"We'll still optimistic (about more teams participating)," he said. "It's not too late."
Other relays are scheduled weeks later at Elgin Community College, in Geneva, and at Jacobs High School in Algonquin.
"When we started our relay (in Carpentersville) we were one of two in Kane County. I have to think the one at ECC took people away from us," he said.
"And there was a change in the people from the American Cancer Society who were helping coordinate this. Our first rep was promoted to a new job. Then, the lady who replaced him quit (her job). Now we're working with another person.
"I'll be interested to see how the other relays participated."
The relay is sponsored, and the idea for it conceived, by the American Cancer Society.
The walk in Carpentersville comes before the other relays. It also comes when many high school students are planning proms and graduations, Rehberg said.
If they and their families do have time to walk, or cheer on those who are already signed up, more information can be obtained by calling the cancer society at (630) 879-9009.