Golda's Gifts

Our Relay Online Fairy Godmother, Golda has been busy visiting websites again and donating $10 to some great Relay Online Personal Pages. Congratulations go out to Megan Clark from the KC-AC team who was the first one to use the new Personal Blog feature, Karen Smetak from the Cause We Care team, whose personal page content brought Golda to tears, and most recently, to Kayla Faith from the Mustard Seeds team, and Jeannette Wolfe from the M & M Melanoma Warriors team, whose personal pages are great examples of using the Relay Online Personal Page to tell their very own "Why I Relay" story. Congratulations on a job well done to all of the lucky winners! And to all of you out there who have not taken the time to personalize your web page, or for that matter, haven't sign up online yet, Golda wants you to know that she will be making suprise visits all through the Relay season, so there's still time to personalize your personal page with own "Why I Relay" story. Add a personal photo and use the blog feature to add personal notes, advertise your team's upcoming fundraising events, and more! Share your passion for the cause by sharing your own personal Relay experience with everyone who visits your page.

Today's Relay For Life Open House

Today's Open House was a wonderful success! A big thank you to everyone who braved a very cold and snowy morning to come out and see us! We met Nancy and her children, and Eric today--both interested in starting a Relay For Life Team. Lara W. stopped by to volunteer her services for this year's Education tent....Diane and Joanne from the Mustard Seeds stopped in to sign up some of their team members online, and Julie T. and Team Survivor team members, Emily , Alina and George also stopped in to offer their help. Thank you so much! We could only wonder how many more people might have come out if the weather would have been a little better!

Relay For Life Open House This Coming Saturday

This coming Saturday, February 27th at the Coffee Bean Cafe in Latrobe from 9 am to noon, we will be holding a Relay For Life Open House to get the word out to the community about our event. We're hoping to sign up a few more teams and more survivors. I'll be there to sign up anyone who would like to get there team and team members registered online. Mary Ann and Don, this year's Co-Chairs and Tina Blake, our Recruitment Chair will be on hand to answer questions and help to get teams and survivors registered for our event on June 19th and 20th. If you would like to register a team or register to attend the Survivor Celebration or even would like to volunteer for the event, come out and visit with us!

Why I Relay.....

If you have participated in the Relay For Life At Latrobe Memorial Stadium in the last several years, you probably know me. I first became involved with the event in 2004 when my friend, Coleen Guest, formed the team Friends For Life, in honor of her sister, Cherie. From Team Member to Team Captain, to Online Publicity Chair, and eventually Online Chair and Assistant Co-Chair...its been quite the journey and I have noticed that my reasons to Relay have changed somewhat over that time. While it is true I participate in honor of my sister Donna and team mate who is a breast cancer survivor, and my daughter-in-law, Brandi, who is a thyroid cancer survivor, and in memory of my father, mother-in-law, father-in-law, several friends and a favorite aunt lost to this disease, my devotion to this cause has now come to include my Relay family and those they honor and remember. Each time I meet someone new and hear their story, or read a new "Why I Relay" story or Caregiver story, my commitment to this cause is renewed. Each time someone shares their story, I am reminded how blessed I am and how far we've come! I am also reminded of how important it is for us to share our stories and let others know what motivates each of us to participate in this cause. When you make it personal by telling your own story, you make an important connection to others, and there are times when just by telling your story, you give someone hope....and hope, after all, is what we are all about! Take the time to share your story with us by emailing a brief essay explaining how you became involved with Relay and why it is important to you to relayforlifedebi@verizon.net and I will post it on the website at www.relayforlife.org/palatrobe . You can also include a photo of yourself or the person who inspired you to become involved with Relay which will be posted on the website along with your story. Thanks for being a part of the Relay For Life At Latrobe and for all of the hard work that each and every one of you do each year to further our cause. We all know how much more needs to be done, but together we can and do make a difference!