Story posted Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Relay For Life Brings In Nearly $55,000
Eloise DeCarlo and her husband, Jack, both cancer survivors, take part in Friday's "Survivor's Lap" of the annual American Cancer Society Relay For Life walk at Prospect High School. (Dan Wessell/The Journal)
By RICHARD MAYER Assistant Managing Editor
More money was raised than anticipated during this year's Mt. Prospect/Prospect Hts. Relay for Life event, held at Prospect High School last Friday and Saturday, May 29-30.
According to Susan Swartz, suburban public relations manager for the American Cancer Society, the goal was to raise $42,000 at the Mt. Prospect Relay. In the end, approximately $55,000 had been raised.
Swartz said 750 people attended the event and 60 teams participated. From 6 p.m. Friday to 6 a.m. Saturday, students and community groups walked laps on the Prospect track and camped on campus for the American Cancer Society benefit. At 10 p.m., lights were dimmed and hundreds of glow sticks in white bags were lit to represent people, each with a name and a story to tell. Each glowing stick represented a shared vision for a future in which cancer no longer threatens people.
Closing ceremonies occurred early the following morning where everyone involved was applauded and recognized.
"I was extremely pleased with our student, staff, and community involvement," said Prospect Service Learning Coordinator Dave Jacobson. "Our committee did an amazing job putting this event together, and I hope those who attended had a memorable experience. We surpassed our monetary goal by over 30%, which is a testament to the efforts of both those who raised money and those who donated money. It was inspiring to see our community come together like this for a very important cause. We are hoping that people had a great experience and that they will want to volunteer their time next year to the planning of the event."
"We're very excited about the success of the Relay for Life of Mt. Prospect," said Ashley Walsh of the American Cancer Society. "The generosity of the community truly demonstrates that they realize cancer doesn't know we are in a recession, and patients and their families need us now more than ever. The money raised during the Relay will fight cancer in our community through research, education, advocacy, and patient services. We're so thankful to all the volunteers that donated their time and energy, it wouldn't have been possible without them. We really thank the community for their support."
Walsh added the committee is already forming for next year.
The first-ever Relay for Life in Mt. Prospect was held in 2007. Prior to that, residents from Mt. Prospect and Arlington Hts. joined together for one event.
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