Two million and more in ’04 for ‘Relay’

Jim Maran

File Photo
About 2,000 people took part in March of Dimes Walk America on April 24 morning at Lake Lanier Islands. Gwinnett County’s best asset is its people who often serve as volunteers.

Gwinnett County has been blessed with many things ... great roads, world-class schools, a pro-business environment and stable governmental leadership. However, the community’s greatest asset remains an innovative and giving people ... people that make the sacrifice for the betterment of their fellow man...people that volunteer long hours and don’t expect anything in return. Gwinnett County is made up of people dedicated to service. When I first moved to Gwinnett more than seven years ago, I was amazed at the level of volunteerism in our community. Corporations, public and private schools, neighborhood associations and individual citizens come together for a common cause. It is because of Gwinnett’s commitment to community that my family and I decided to make Gwinnett our permanent home.
This feeling of community is best expressed in the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life in Gwinnett event that will be held Friday, May 14, through Saturday, May 15. Relay For Life is a fun-filled overnight event designed to celebrate cancer survivorship and raise money for research and programs of our American Cancer Society. During the event, more than 600 teams gather at the Gwinnett County Fairgrounds located off Sugarloaf Parkway in Lawrenceville to take turns walking or running laps. On that Friday night, more than 10,000 Gwinnettians will gather to celebrate the lives of those lost to cancer, support those who face cancer, and be a part of the fight that will one day eliminate cancer. Two thousand Gwinnett County cancer survivors will lead the first lap on Friday at 6:30 p.m. Seeing the faces and hearing the stories of these individuals is a constant reminder to all the participants of the reason for Relay for Life.
The Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce will again take a leading role in this event. Chamber members such as the Gwinnett County Public Schools, E.R. Snell Contractor, Jordan Jones & Goulding, Main Street Bank, Peoples Bank and Trust, Brand Banking Company, Primerica, Scientific Atlanta, RBC Centura, Wachovia, Jackson EMC, Georgia Power, Gwinnett Health System, Emory Eastside Medical Center, Rock-Tenn Company and hundreds of other business leaders are providing much of the financial backbone for this event through corporate sponsorships and encouragement of employees to play a vital role. Gwinnett’s public safety employees are again donating their time to provide safety and security for the event. For the fourth year in a row, chamber member Hayes Chrysler Dodge Jeep is making available a Jeep Wrangler Sport to be raffled off during the event. Organizers expect to raise $175,000 from the tickets that are being sold. The event’s steering committee and financial sponsors reads as a “who’s who” of chamber members. A special thanks goes to Mary Root and Dianne Fahring for serving as co-chairs for the 2004 Relay for Life in Gwinnett County. They and the hundreds of volunteers are making a real difference in our world.
In addition to our leadership role, the chamber has a more personal reason to be in this fight against cancer. On March 2, this chamber and this community lost a beacon of hope, Lynette Couch. A longtime member of the chamber family, you knew by the sparkle in her eyes and the smile upon her face that everyone was welcome at the Chamber. She was in every sense a gracious “Southern Lady.” Lynette, we will be on the track for you this year. This chamber will be a part of finding a cure for cancer.
As the signature activity for the American Cancer Society for the last 18 years, the Relay For Life initiative has spread to 3,800 communities in the United States and eight foreign countries. In typical fashion, Gwinnett County has led the way. The Gwinnett Relay for Life was the first one to raise more than $1 million, and the first event to raise more than $2 million. The Gwinnett Relay alone has raised more than $10 million in the past 10 years. The goal for this 11th year event in Gwinnett is “two million and more in 2004.” Already, we have 100 teams more than last year. Some organizations such as the Norcross High School and the First United Methodist Church of Lawrenceville have hundreds of people involved in the effort. For the first time, the Gwinnett Relay is utilizing the power of the Internet to get people involved in the effort with a program that allows participants to e-mail others about the event. When the time came for campsite selection, volunteers were lined-up at the America Cancer Society’s offices located in the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce building before 6:00 a.m. When the doors opened at 7:30 a.m., more than 75 teams were represented. That shows the level of commitment this community has for this event.
Because Relay For Life is a community-gathering event, anyone and everyone can participate. Teams form from businesses, civic clubs, families, friends, hospitals, churches, schools, and service organizations. Team members share a common purpose — to support the American Cancer Society’s mission “to eliminate cancer as a major health problem by preventing cancer, saving lives, and diminishing suffering from cancer, through research, education, advocacy, and service.” You can be a part of this mission by becoming involved or giving of your time and resources to Gwinnett’s Relay for Life. For more information, call our American Cancer Society office in Gwinnett at 770-814-0123.
Jim Maran is the president and CEO of the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce.