Diana Price knows all about personal impacts from cancer. When Price was 17 years old, her mother died from ovarian cancer after battling it for many years.
Price started taking part in the local Relay for Life event four years ago, in her early 30s, noting it took some time to get involved because it’s “pretty emotional when you have that strong of a connection to cancer.”
Before her third Relay event, in December 2014, Price herself was diagnosed with breast cancer.
With successful radiation treatment finished in October, Price is among the cancer survivors who will organize and walk in this year’s Hollister-based Relay for Life fundraiser, her fourth overall.
Her own experience with cancer “definitely heightened” her connection to Relay for Life, which raises money for the American Cancer Society. Price recalled her first Relay during treatments last year: walking the track with survivors, wearing purple survivors’ shirts, having her name on luminary bags shared during a special ceremony.
“It was very powerful,” she said. “It was like, ‘Wow, that’s something I’ve gone through.’”
Price is among 30 or so survivors registered by Tuesday, though another survivor, event logistics chairman Chuck Obeso-Bradley, mentioned how many others typically show up the day of the event.
As of Tuesday, a total of 35 teams were signed up, ranging from some with just two or three members to much larger teams, such as corporate groups.
It starts at 6 p.m. Friday on the San Benito High School track with an opening ceremony before the traditional survivors’ lap at 6:25 p.m.
Obeso-Bradley didn’t want to give it away, but hinted at something different for that tradition. He said organizers will “find a way to join them up with their caregivers and their family.”
Then it’s 22 hours of walking until 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Obeso-Bradley said.
“The goal is for every single team to have at least one person on the track for almost 24 hours,” he said, adding how it was designed as an all-night event “because cancer doesn’t sleep.”
This is the 17th year for a local Relay, and Obeso-Bradley felt good about prospects of reaching the goal of $100,000 this year, with $81,000 raised by the last team captains’ meeting.
“We have an excellent chance to break our goal,” he said. “That’s a pretty big deal for a community of our size.”
How to donate
Detailing the donation process, Price mentioned how all teams maintain a fundraising web page where donations are accepted. People are welcome at the event, too, where the teams will have booths set up, usually with some kind of fundraiser like raffles or sales of apparel they created, or some sort of food items they’ve made ahead of time. There is also a silent auction booth. For more, go to relayforlife.org.
