Bonham, TX – (September 4, 2012) – The American Cancer Society Relay For Life® is seeking volunteers in Fannin County – walkers, cancer survivors, caregivers, community leaders, anyone wanting to make a difference – to organize and recruit fundraising teams, garner community support, coordinate logistics, seek refreshments and prizes, plan entertainment and lend a hand to ensure the success of the 2013 event.  

The first volunteer committee meeting will be held on Tuesday, September 11, 2012 at Red River Regional Hospital Café at 5:30 p.m. The meeting will begin the planning process for the Fannin County Relay For Life event, which supports the American Cancer Society’s mission of saving lives by helping people stay well, by helping people get well, by finding cures and by fighting back against the disease.

Relay For Life events are held overnight as individuals and teams camp out at an athletic track, park or other gathering area, with the goal of keeping at least one team member on the track or pathway at all times throughout the evening. Teams do most of their fundraising prior to the event, but some teams also hold creative fundraisers at their camp sites during Relay. Relay brings together friends, families, businesses, hospitals, schools, faith-based groups . . . people from all walks of life – all aimed at celebrating the lives of those who have had cancer, remembering those lost, and fighting back against the disease.

"Relay For Life is all about our community uniting with the American Cancer Society and supporting its efforts to create a world with less cancer and more birthdays," said Jennifer Flippo, Event Chair. "Volunteers and participants who are willing to give their time and energy to this exciting event are making a commitment to let Fannin County know that cancer can be defeated.”

If you would like to join the Relay For Life in Fannin County as a volunteer or team participant, call Jennifer Flippo, Event Chair at 903-227-8591 or Gail Young, Event Co-Chair at 903-640-3985, or visit www.RelayForLife.org.

The American Cancer Society combines an unyielding passion with nearly a century of experience to save lives and end suffering from cancer. As a global grassroots force of more than three million volunteers, we fight for every birthday threatened by every cancer in every community. We save lives by helping people stay well by preventing cancer or detecting it early; by helping people get well by being there for them during and after a cancer diagnosis; by finding cures through investment in groundbreaking discovery; and by fighting back by rallying lawmakers to pass laws to defeat cancer and by rallying communities worldwide to join the fight.

As the nation’s largest non-governmental investor in cancer research, contributing about $3.4 billion, we turn what we know about cancer into what we do. As a result, more than 11 million people in America who have had cancer and countless more who have avoided it will be celebrating birthdays this year.

To learn more about us or to get help, call us anytime, day or night, at 1-800-227-2345 or visit www.cancer.org.