Relay For Life of Jersey County Planning Continues

(JERSEYVILLE, IL – March 29, 2010) – Planning for this year’s Relay For Life of Jersey County continues, with the June event fast approaching. If your life has ever been impacted by cancer, you are asked to join in the fight against cancer and support Jersey County’s Relay.

Event Chair Melissa Mustain often hears “I don’t have time” as someone’s response when asked to help with the local efforts to fight back against cancer. To this response, Mustain says, “If you don’t make time for the fight now, you might just be forced to make time for cancer later.” Mustain has seen the effects cancer has on its victims, its survivors, and their loved ones. She lost her aunt to lung cancer last year and her father-in-law to brain cancer back in 2004. Her nephew, her parents’ first grandchild, died from leukemia at only six months old in 1979.

For Mustain it became more personal last year as she found out she was one step away from cervical cancer herself. Because of research made possible through efforts of the American Cancer Society and its many programs including Relay For Life, Mustain was able to catch her problem before it turned into cancer. “I’ve made the time to do what I can now so that perhaps my children or grandchildren won’t have to make time for it in their lives,” says Mustain.

Cancer survivors, along with their loved ones and caregivers, are invited to take part in the Relay For Life of Jersey County’s Survivor Dinner. To learn more or to participate, contact Survivor Participants’ Coordinator Margaret Winters at 618-639-1910.

Also as a part of the Relay night, a display of Luminarias will be lit in remembrance of those who have passed due to cancer, to celebrate those who have survived, and to recognize caregivers. For more information about the Luminaria ceremony or to purchase Luminarias, contact Tom or Julie Smith at 618-639-5115.

Corporate sponsors continue to be needed as well to make this year’s event another successful Relay. If your business would like to show its support in the fight against cancer, contact Corporate Sponsor Coordinator Christa Bridgewater at 618-535-4855, christa_bridgewater@yahoo.com.

Individuals, businesses, family, friends, youth, students, churches, and any other types of groups are also encouraged to consider forming a Relay For Life team. To learn more about forming a team or to sign up your team, contact Team Development and Recruitment Coordinator Lanita Combs at 618-514-0409. You can also register your team online at the event website, www.relayforlifejersey.com.

Walkers, cancer survivors (anyone who has ever been diagnosed with cancer), community leaders, and event day volunteers are also still needed to make the 2010 American Cancer Society Relay For Life of Jersey County a success. If you would like to find out more about how you can help with Relay, contact Event Chair Melissa Mustain at 618-498-3209, mmustain@frontiernet.net or Amy Slauson of the American Cancer Society at 618-288-2820, amy.slauson@cancer.org. You can also find us on Facebook at “Friends of the Jersey County Relay.”

The Jersey County Relay event is slated to take place on June 5-6 at Jersey Community High School. New this year, the event will be held overnight from Saturday afternoon to Sunday at sunrise, rather than from Friday afternoon to Saturday sunrise as it has in previous years.

The next meeting for the American Cancer Society Relay For Life of Jersey County will be held on Tuesday, April 13 at the Jerseyville Public Library in Jerseyville. The Planning Committee will meet at 6 p.m. and Team Captains will meet at 7 p.m.

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