Kane Relay For Life celebrates, remembers
Sue Kass Novy's older brother, Mike, would be 60 years old if cancer didn't take away his life.
Kass Novy, of Batavia, said it was a sign that in the 40th year anniversary of his death she was offered and accepted the position of co-chair for the Kane County Relay For Life.
She is not the only one who relays for a family member or a loved one. There are 79 teams and 2,000 participants expected at this year's Kane County Relay For Life at Elfstrom Stadium on Kirk Road in Geneva.
The all-night event starts at 6 p.m. Friday and runs through 6 a.m. Saturday.
This is one of 5,000 American Cancer Society Relays For Life around the country, which all offer a chance for the community to raise money and celebrate, remember and fight back against all types of cancer.
“People are there because they are among friends. That is how they find the strength,” said Erin Shaffer, regional director of Relay For Life. “It's Disney World for cancer. It may not be the happiest place on Earth but you're around people who get what's going on.”
All of the Relay For Life events typically have the same three stages. It begins with Celebrate — life or advances in research — then Remember — those people they lost, how far the research needs to go before a cure is found — and finally Fight back — to help with awareness and getting people healthy. Each Relay has a luminaria ceremony that remembers the people who have died of cancer, beginning at 9 p.m.
Despite the similarities, each Relay has its own style, depending on the area it takes place and the entertainment offered. Each one has a different atmosphere, Shaffer of Plano said.
Some of the entertainment for Kane County includes a water balloon toss, a Ms. and Mr. Relay competition, a Lady Gaga themed lap, and a Minute-to-Win-It competition.
The Kane County Relay For Life is the third largest Relay in the country and will have around 200 survivors honored. Shaffer said they do not plan celebrity speakers — survivors are the heroes of the entire event.
Kane County also has a unique location, held where the Kane County Cougars minor league baseball team plays.
“(The) majority of Relays take place at a high school, normally around a football field or track area,” Shaffer said. She also said parks are another option of where events take place.
The Kane County Relay is one of a few that feature fireworks at 9:30 p.m., which helps to make the event special, Shaffer said.
“(Kane County) is such a big community, it covers a ton of area and has a good community feel compared to other ones,” said Brittney Ginter of Aurora and income development representative for Relay For Life. “When cancer affects one person it kind of affects everyone else.”
The Kane County Relay For Life will also play part to the American Cancer Society's cancer prevention study third wave, in which people ages 30-65 can volunteer to be part of a major cancer study. It consists of a few tests such as waist measurement, a blood draw and answering a few surveys to track lifestyles. It is meant for people that have not had cancer and allows researchers to discover what causes types of cancers.
“We have a half a million people involved in this pretty extensive process,” Shaffer said. “It does not happen at every event ... it depends on the size of the event and the demographic of age and location to make sure we have a wide variety.”
The CPS-3 tents will be open at the event from 5 to 9 p.m. Friday.
One special event, though, for Kass Novy is the survivor walk that happens right after the opening ceremonies around 6:30 p.m.
“I go every year because of the survivors' lap,” Kass Novy said, who has participated in Relay For Life for seven years. “It gives me goose bumps every time. Watching everybody cheering them on — it's a wonderful event and wonderful recognition.”
Relay For Life is not just for people who signed up for teams to raise money, but for anyone who would like to attend. There is no cost to attend and spectators are welcomed.
Shaffer calls these attendees “relay ghosts” because their attendance numbers are not recorded, but they are interested in the event. All participants are free to walk to track.
It is still possible to sign up a team for a $25 registration fee but Ginter said it is rare for participants to register this close to the event. Each team has a goal amount of money to raise, so it's difficult to raise in one day, she said.
For more information about donating or to sign up a team, visit relayforlifekane.com.