By Fred Guarino
The Lowndes Signal

“The 2012 Relay for Life will be a big fellowship of the survivors in Lowndes County and the care providers, the people who have helped us in our fight against cancer,” Barbara Means Williams of Hayneville said.

“Carnivaling for a Cure,” the theme for the Lowndes County Relay for Life, is set for Friday night from 6 p.m. until 1 a.m. or the last tent is standing at the Russell Baseball Field in Hayneville.

The goal this year is $35,000, according to event co-chair Zandra Colston, who serves in that position with Lakeisha Griffin.

Williams said the survivors and caregivers can “all get together in one setting” and have “a big, huge celebration to celebrate that we had one other birthday. And not only to celebrate, but to make other people aware of the fight against cancer, and how they can become involved in the American Cancer Society.”

Williams was diagnosed with an aggressive Stage Four breast cancer in April 2007 and is now in her fifth year as a cancer survivor.

During her reign as chairperson for the Relay for Life, Williams said she was invited to a meeting at the Hope Lodge in Birmingham where she met with researchers who make use of some of the funds that are gathered in the various Relays for Life throughout the state of Alabama.

She said they shared some of the techniques that have been developed and the progress that has been made.
She also pointed out some of the ways dollars raised by Relay for Life “touch lives in Lowndes County.”

Williams said one of the agencies funded by American Cancer Society “was able to give me gas vouchers that paid for my gas during the many months that I traveled to and from Lowndes County to Montgomery (for chemotherapy treatments).”

She said agencies funded by the American Cancer Society also help pay for medicine or donate wigs and scarves that chemotherapy patients can make use of during treatment.

She said the funds are also used for research and to disseminate information, such as breast cancer awareness in Lowndes County. She said she knew of two people in the community of Hayneville who were able to take advantage of free mammograms.

There are 15 teams in this year’s Relay for Life.

Sponsors are SABIC-IP, Lily Baptist Church, Dr. Johnnie M. Griffin, Taylor Made Gaming, Macedonia Baptist Church, Jimmy Davis Auto Repair, Casey Feed, A & P Automotive, Dr. Thomas and Lyn Cawthon.
Teams include the Charles Smith Courthouse Annex with captain Linda Maddox, DHR Stars with captain Jacqueline Lee, Educators Against Cancer with captain Bernard Mitchell, Greater Mount Olive Warriors with captain Vera Mickle, Hinson’s Heroes with captain Eddie Hinson, Hippy/SWAC with captain Mary Thompson, Lily Fight For Life with captain Arlean Allen, Little Union Christian Church with captain Mary Yelder, Pink Flamingos with captain Laura Gresham, SABIC Plastics with captain Deanna Richards, Snow Hillians Angels with captain Floretta Timmons, Touched by an Angle with captain William Steiner, We Fall Down But We Get Up with captain Glenda McMeans, Williams Used Cars Angels For A Cure with captain Toni Williams-Jones and Yolanda Thomas Crusaders/Friendship Church with captain Amy Jones.

For more information call Colston at 334-315-0962.