The Copa Magazine's Fun Guide To Do Good Vol.1 | Page 7

RELAY FOR LIFE
READY TO ROCK!
The Goal...

Becky Check

Ann Norby
Gaby Potter

35K was raised last year. The goal for this year is 45K.
Everyone is doing their chants, prayers, and dances
to make sure the weather is perfect this year, unlike
last year’s Relay that saw the worst winds of the
year. On April 25th, the Relay for Life party is
ready to rock and take it to another level by getting
a jump start on every aspect, so that the entire city
comes out and supports the survivors, caretakers,
and all the volunteers that make this event special.
Ann Norby is the on the
leadership team for this year’s Relay, with Becky
Check and Gaby Potter. Norby started relaying in 2012
with her daughter, Tobi Smith.

“I walked around the track with my granddaughter to
honor my father who passed away from Cancer in 2001,”
said Norby. “I was so moved by this experience and the
people relaying, I had to get involved.”
“We have a very diverse experienced leadership team,” said Norby.
“There is a nice mix of experienced Relayers and new Relayers. We have
been brought together because cancer has touched all of our lives. The enthusiasm
the members bring to relay motivates each of us.”

What has been accomplished...
Last year’s fundraising efforts went to help fund researcher Ross Kagan out of
Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. Kagan and his team are doing genetic
research with fruit flies to help identify the genes responsible for cancer. Working
with the individual cells, the experimental research is proving to be successful.
“One step closer to finding a cure,” Norby said. “This is why everyone should relay
today to find the cure. Most, if not all, who relay do it to celebrate survivors, remember those we lost, and those fighting back. To be a part of relaying brings us all
one step closer to a cure.”
Perhaps, the most powerful aspect of Relay, is the connections it builds between
survivors, caretakers, and those who participate in the all night event.
“The camaraderie between those who participate is not easy to put into words,”
said Norby. “You have to experience it. The people I have met through Relay have
become family to me.”
COPA JanFeb ‘15

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