Feb. 7, 2002 – Gov. Charles W. Turnbull lent his support Thursday to efforts by the local chapters of the American Cancer Society to raise money through "Relay for Life" events scheduled for June on St. Thomas and October on St. Croix.
This year will be the first time the local chapters have put on the Relay for Life, and organizers said Thursday they hope to raise more than $300,000 for the prevention of and fight against cancer.
"There is probably no one in this room who has not been somehow touched by this dreaded disease," Turnbull said. "I lost a sister-in-law last September. It really touches the friends and family for a long, long time."
In the Relay for Life, several teams of volunteers each have at least one member walking or running around a track over a 24-hour period. Throughout much of the event, other members take part in various fun activities nearby. Teams raise money through sponsorships.
Survivors of cancer will walk or run for part of the relay, according to Fern LaBorde, president of the St. Thomas-St. John unit of the American Cancer Society. During the event, medical teams will conduct breast cancer and prostate cancer screenings.
Everton Aubain, a 14-year-old student at the New Horizons School, is helping to publicize the fundraiser by serving as the poster youth for the event. The quiet young man has been diagnosed with acute lymphositic leukemia, a type of cancer, for which he has been receiving chemotherapy at a clinic in Puerto Rico.
About 80 percent of young people with that type of leukemia survive, according to Dr. Audria Thomas, the Health Department's acting district health officer for St. Thomas and St. John. All indications are that Everton should have a successful recovery, she added.
The Relay for Life events are scheduled for June 22-23 at the Charlotte Amalie High School track on St. Thomas and for Oct. 13-14 on St. Croix at a location to be determined. For information about taking part in either event, call 775-5373 on St. Thomas or 778-2882 on St. Croix.
