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Every spring as the flowers bloom, so does the hope in
so many New Jersey towns that the day will soon arrive
when the words “you have cancer” no longer evoke a
fear and dread that plagues so many families, not just
in New Jersey but across the country. The American
Cancer Society’s signature fundraiser Relay for Life
is an event that is held in numerous towns throughout
the state of
New Jersey.
While Relay For Life is over 20 years old, this year
the American Cancer Society (ACS) is giving
fundraising a makeover. Celebrate. Remember. Fight
Back. is the new mantra for millions of Relay
participants across the country. It is being used to
create an atmosphere dedicated to giving communities
the opportunity to celebrate the lives of those who
have beat cancer, remember those we have lost to
cancer, and to fight back against the disease.
In celebration of all of the advances that have been
made on the road to a cure, Relayers will walk around
a track overnight for 12-24 hours in over 5,000
communities across the country. The evening begins
with a survivors lap, honoring cancer survivors as
well as their caregivers, and allows everyone in
attendance to take a few moments to truly applaud
these brave men, women and children for their
success. When the last survivor comes back around
everyone in attendance joins hands to make one lap
together, symbolic of their commitment to this battle
for a cure. This year in
New Jersey,
82 communities will dedicate themselves to this fight
by hosting a Relay for Life event.
Many attend Relay because the spirit of the event
allows them the opportunity to remember their loved
ones who have lost their own battle to cancer. When
darkness falls on the event, stillness settles in and
footballs and Frisbees are set down for a few minutes
as all eyes are on the track and the ceremony that
takes place. The concept of a Luminaria ceremony is
not unique to ACS, but it is one of the most treasured
at every Relay. Remembering those lost is essential
to their spirit living on and as bags are lit with the
names of those who have lost their battle, along side
the names of those still fighting, everyone walks in
silence. In these moments, humility is restored and
we are all reminded of the precious gift of friends
and family.
This year, six locations in
New Jersey
will have the opportunity to Fight Back and recruit
volunteers for an historic study to eliminate cancer.
ACS began conducting long-term studies on cancer
beginning in the 1950s. These long-term studies play
a major role in cancer prevention driven by the
American Cancer Society and assisted in other national
and international efforts. The first Cancer Prevention
Study (CPS) began in the late 1950’s and moved into a
second study entitle the CPS-II. The current study
population for the CPS-II, however, is aging and it is
important to recruit a new group of individuals whose
lifestyle and environmental exposures help us to
understand cancer, and therefore try to eliminate it.
The first Cancer Prevention Study in the 1950's linked
cigarette smoking to lung cancer and the 2nd Study
that began in the 80's, showed a significant impact
from being overweight and obese to cancer incidences,
as well as other important findings. The purpose of
this new study is to better understand the lifestyle,
behavioral, environmental and genetic factors that
cause or prevent cancer and other diseases.
We need your help! For the new study, CPS-III, ACS
needs to recruit an estimated 500,000 people of
various backgrounds to participate in the study. At
six Relay locations in New Jersey, ACS will be
recruiting volunteers for the Cancer Prevention
Study-3 (CPS-3), which is the next generation study to
help eliminate cancer as a major health problem.
If you are 30-65 years old and never been diagnosed
with cancer, then you will want to participate in this
study. If you do not meet the eligibility
requirements, you can still help by telling everyone
you know about the opportunity to help prevent cancer
by enrolling in the study.
It will take approximately 20 minutes to enroll in the
Study at one of the selected Relay For Life sites.
That is only 20 minutes of your time to make a huge
difference in the lives of future generations.
Research today for a cancer-free tomorrow, future
generations will thank us!
ACS will be recruiting study participants at the
following locations in New Jersey:
§
Manahawkin
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Medford
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Morristown
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West Orange
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Mullica Hill
§
Roselle Park
You can find out more about the study and the Relay
events listed above by visiting
www.cancer.org/cps3 or
www.relayforlife.org.
Mayors can both participate in their local Relay
events, and encourage their communities to participate
as volunteers in the study. If you are interested in
bringing Relay For Life to your community you can
contact your local ACS office via the toll free number
at 1-800-ACS-2345.
We hope you will join the American Cancer Society at
your local Relay for Life event, and help us to
eliminate cancer by encouraging participation in the
study! |
