Area events honor cancer survival, fund research

Two separate events in Bangor and Old Town this weekend emphasized the impact cancer has had on the estimated 10,000 people in the region who are living with the disease. One honored survivors; the other raised money for research.

Cancer Care Survivor Day, sponsored by CancerCare of Maine at Eastern Maine Medical Center, was held Sunday afternoon on the Bangor Waterfront. Between 600 and 750 people attended the event that honored survivors and offered support and information to their families and friends, said Nadine Bullion, manager of support services for CancerCare.

In Old Town, walkers of all ages donned their rain gear just before sunrise Saturday to complete the 15th annual American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life at the high school track, which began at 6 p.m. Friday. About 800 people on 77 teams took part in the event this year, according to Dan Cashman, 30, of Brewer, who serves on the publicity committee. The event was expected to raise $210,000 for cancer research.

Charles Reynolds, 65, of Lamoine attended the event for survivors on the Bangor Waterfront. It will be four years in August since he was diagnosed with colon cancer, he said Sunday.

“This event is important because it makes everyone feel cheerful,” Reynolds said.

In a way, that is one of the goals of the event, according to Tereasa Mooney, 49, of Hampden. She is a registered nurse with CancerCare and a breast cancer survivor of two years.

“By celebrating survival,” she said, “we’re helping not only our current patients but others by letting them know they can survive. That’s important for people to see so they have hope.”

The two events don’t usually happen on the same weekend as they did this year, Bullion said. Survivor Day is held on the first Sunday in June, and the Relay for Life usually is held the previous weekend. Because Memorial Day fell on May 26, the Relay for Life was held Friday and Saturday.

A steady downpour throughout the morning Saturday kept some team members inside tents and shelters rather than on the sidelines cheering their fellow walkers forward. The colorful boots, umbrellas and ponchos participants sported to stay dry added to the festive atmosphere of the event.

Jarrett Priest, 10, of Enfield and Lincoln, and Samantha Ireland, 10, of Enfield joined their families and friends on the walk. Their team raised more than $2,000.

“The walk’s important because it’s money for the Cancer Society,” she said.

Priest described spending the night in a tent and walking in the rain as fun.

The relay felt a bit more serious for Michael Trafton, 44, and his wife, Denise, 40, both of Corinth. The couple has participated in the event since 2000, when Michael was diagnosed with skin cancer.

“Taking part became part of our healing process,” she said.

Michael Trafton is a social studies teacher at Central Middle School in Corinth, and each year many of his colleagues and former colleagues participate. The first year they participated, the Traftons were joined by 10 or so others, he said, and raised about $1,000. This year, he said, they had 24 people who formed two teams and raised $9,000.

“Once you come, you get hooked,” he said. “It’s a very powerful experience.”

Last year, the event raised just under $200,000, Cashman said. The goal this year is to raise $210,000, but the final figure won’t be known for a week or so because some teams will continue to collect donations.

About 60 percent of the money raised at Relay for Life events in Maine goes to the New England division of the American Cancer Society, according to Cashman. The rest goes the national organization’s research arm.

“Because of the amount of cancer research done in the state,” he said, “Maine gets back more than that in actual dollars that go to fund research.”

Other Relay for Life events this month include:

. Hancock County, June 13-14, Ellsworth High School.

. Katahdin region, June 20-21, Stearns High School, Millinocket.

. Midcoast, June 27-28, Camden Hills Regional High School, Rockport.

For more information, call 800-ACS-2345 or visit www.relayforlife.com.

jharrison@bangordailynews.net

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