Relay For Life Teams Fighting for a Cure For so many people, Relay For Life is personal. hour daytime event. It will be held from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on They are survivors and caregivers, family members and friends Saturday, May 16 and has been moved to Caldwell Park on Van of someone touched by cancer. Running that lap is something Buren Avenue in downtown Mount Pleasant. they do as a badge of honor, a celebration of victory or to re“So many people had a hard time doing the all night member someone who lost the fight. They will join forces at Re- event,” Haynes said. “Changing it to a daytime event will encourlay For Life on May 16 in downtown age more families and businesses to get inMount Pleasant. volved.” As of April 24, there were 22 teams Niki Haynes, a 25-year-old registered and nearly $17,000 raised for the Mount Pleasant native and employee at “Changing it to a daytime event will American Cancer Society in Titus County. encourage more families and busiDiamond C Trailer Manufacturing will The teams begin fundraising in Janbe among them. Haynes lost her granduary and on the day of the relay, each team nesses to get involved.” mother to cancer and watched her sets up what is called a “campsite” where grandfather beat the disease for the they have games or activities and sell items third time this past winter. to continue raising funds during the event. Haynes is the Team’s Chair for Relay For Life of Titus While the event is a somber reminder of the lives lost to cancer, County and is also supporting her former high school teacher, it is also a celebration of the survivors who have beaten the odds Lela Elliott, who was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2014. She is and a community joining together to help find a cure. in remission and is taking on the team captain role for Mount “I was really close to my grandmother growing up. She Pleasant High School this year. “She is such a sweet lady and was kind of my best friend,” Haynes said. “It’s so hard when you just to hear that she had cancer broke my heart,” Haynes said. get that phone call. Our hope is that one of these days when you “It’s been awesome to see her involved with Relay For Life bedo get that call, it won’t necessarily be a death sentence and it’s cause it’s so personal to her.” something you can live with and that we have the resources to Titus County and Morris County, which have previously help you battle it and get through it.” combined efforts, are having separate Relay For Life events this For more information on Relay For Life of Titus County, year. The Titus County event has also been changed to a 12go to Relayforlife.org.
12 mtpleasanttx.com