By Missy Timberlake

My reasons to Relay are many and varied. I first joined the Canton Cruisers Relay Team after I stopped working to stay home with my daughter. I needed some adult interaction!

Of course, cancer had hit my family sporadically and I’ve always been an advocate for cancer awareness. I’m also in awe of a group of people coming from different backgrounds and situations, sharing stories of why they Relay, each bringing a different strength to the table and a team drawing on those strengths for the good of others.

Since joining a Relay Team, both my father-in-law and step-father have been diagnosed with cancer AND HAVE WON THE FIGHT!!!! It’s inspiring for me to see how they overcame an obstacle and didn’t let it consume them.

It’s the spirit to fight something that can be so large and all-consuming that drives me to continue to Relay. I Relay for those who cannot, I Relay for those who are caretakers, I Relay for those who feel there’s nothing they can do, I Relay for the scientists searching for cures, I relay for the medical professionals having to communicate a cancer diagnosis to a patient, I relay for those sitting in waiting rooms not knowing their future, I Relay for those receiving the great news that they are now cancer free … I Relay for humankind.

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