Strength in Numbers:
Wood County Relay for Life

By: Carmen Hathaway,
Senior Community Manager
American Cancer Society
The Relay For Life of Wood County is always a wonderful event. However, this year’s event could be described as a little more somber and emotional than usual. Our community, in its entirety gets involved in this event. Cancer has touched everyone, and it shows through the support of cancer survivors, family and caregivers at the Relay For Life.

This year we had a caregiver, Bill Packard, scheduled to speak at the Opening Ceremony. Just before, we had heard that Bill’s wife, Janet Packard, had taken a turn for the worse and consequently, Bill could not join us as he needed to be by her side. Our community leaders are not immune to this disease either, as just before Opening Ceremony we heard of a community principal who had been diagnosed earlier that day. Caregivers come in the form of family, friends and from our medical profession. For example, a caregiver can be both a friend and a community icon. This friend and community icon told me the day before the Relay that his dear friend had just been diagnosed with cancer and he wanted some information to read so that he could be a support to his friend.

The Relay For Life brings together an incredible support system where everyone can show that they care about one another, even if they do not know someone personally. Our relayers hearts are filled with a desire to help and to support one another. Throughout the night of the Relay, several participants told me that even though they did not know Janet and our community principal personally, their hearts were filled with a desire to lend support and prayers.

So you see, everyone has been touched by this disease. You may be a cancer survivor of many years, or you may be a cancer survivor who was diagnosed just a few days ago. You may also be a family member who has cared for a cancer patient. Everyone in our community takes up the fight for all that live here, and that is what makes the Relay For Life an incredible support system.

It has been a little over two weeks ago that Bill Packard, his family and our community had to say goodbye to a hero, Janet Packard. The ceremony for her funeral was one filled with much emotion and love. She touched so many lives as a nurse, especially with Dr. Shah. Janet offered support to many from her home by answering questions over the phone and offering more comfort to a patient or their family.

At her funeral, Bill shared a touching and beautiful story about his lovely wife. He then asked every single person in the room to find a way to fight back against cancer. He asked everyone to support your American Cancer Society’s research efforts, not just in January when the Relay For Life begins, but start right now.

Mr. Packard has since visited our American Cancer Society office asking how he can help even more. The fight for a cure for cancer is a fight he is very passionate about and is determined to help make a difference.
This community embraces the American Cancer Society. Everyone has been touched by this disease. We are making major progress everyday but we still have a long way to go. Please remember the plea from Bill Packard to fight back against this disease. If you want to share your story with him and how you are fighting back, too, I am sure he would love to sit and whittle a while.

I wanted to share with you how successful the Relay For Life of Wood County has been. And my most memorable thought from that event is how incredible this community is in supporting one another. To me that is what the Relay For Life is all about. Sharing the dream of hope that one day there will be a cure. You are truly making a difference in the fight against cancer.