Absolutely amazing.

That’s the only way to describe the success of the 2002 Relay for Life in Pike County.

Raising

$206,135.77 for the American Cancer Society, the Pike County Relay for Life once again surpassed everyone’s expectations.

Already ranked among the top five for per capita giving in the United States, Pike County once again set itself apart as one of the top Relay for Life communities in the nation.

The reason why is obvious. It’s passion; it’s commitment; it’s community spirit and pride.

More important, it’s a cause we can all celebrate, we can all share.

Cancer is an insidious disease. It touches everyone in some way – whether a family member is diagnosed with cancer, or a friend, or a co-worker. It claims victims of every age, every race, every socio-economic category. It wins some battles, and loses others.

And in every case, it challenges us to find inside a strength and a determination to survive, to rise above, and to live.

Perhaps it’s that strength that feeds the Pike County Relay for Life. It’s certainly the vitality of perennial volunteers whose energy and passion fuel the drive each year. It’s certainly the excitement of new participants – from church groups to small businesses – who find themselves quickly swept up into the spirit of giving. It’s unarguably the glow of lives touched by cancer – a glow solemnly and beautifully seen in the luminary display – that fuels our fire each and every year.

And, it’s the hope of the future – a hope for a future without cancer and without its pain.

Regardless of what pulls us together for this event, we can take pride in the results of our efforts. And, for each of you who played a role in Relay for Life – great or small – we say a special prayer of thanks.

May you all be blessed, today and in the future.  

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