"Plaza Fight Back" Is Top Team at Annual Fundraiser

It's been a little over five years since my late boyfriend Ruben passed away from liver cancer, yet every year that I attend two of the Relays for Life, it doesn't get any easier.

The American Cancer Society's Fort Worth (TX) Relay for Life held April 15-16 at Fort Worth Cats Stadium/LaGrave Field had brought in $73,291.08 when the event had ended at 6 a.m. today with Plaza Medical Center being the lead fundraising corporate team.

Although final figures won't be announced until the wrap-up party May 7, the above numbers were the totals posted on the relay page when festivities were closed.

There were 74 teams and 1,185 people who participated in the annual fundraiser with this year's theme of "Teaming Up to Fight Back!" The event started April 15 at 6 p.m. and included a silent auction, Survivor and Caregiver laps, Remember, Fight Back, and Luminaria Ceremonies, speakers, and a Silent Lap led by bagpiper Virginia Smith. A fireworks show took place at 11 p.m. and a closing ceremony wrapped things up at 5:30 a.m.

Among the Fort Worth Relay for Life corporate sponsors were Galderma, Texas Oncology, Genentech, Plaza Medical Center of Fort Worth, Law Offices of Bishop, Payne, Harvard & Kaitcher, L.L.P., Lockheed Martin, Crowne Plaza Fort Worth South, Haynes & Boone, Kiwanis Club of Fort Worth, Law Offices of Loe, Warren, Rosenfield, Kaitcer, Hibbs, Windsor & Lawrence, P.C., Los Vaqueros Restaurant, Strange, Downing & Coats P.C., Lone Star Orthopaedic and Spine, Dr. John Malonis, and numerous others.

Los Vaqueros Restaurant, Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts, and Lockheed Martin also hosted one of the quarterly survivor events this past year.

The Grapevine Relay for Life in Grapevine, TX will take place April 29 at Cross Timbers Middle School, 2301 Pool Road, 7 p.m.

For more information, access http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR?pg=entry&fr_id=32423.

Every event features an opening ceremony plus luminarias to light the track which you may purchase for $10 apiece to honor a loved one who has passed or one who is still fighting cancer. A luminaria ceremony takes place later in the night to commemorate these persons.

Relays for Life are held all over the country every spring to raise funds and awareness to fight cancer, fund research, and find cures for the disease. They are the American Cancer Society's signature activity and teams of people from all walks of life have fun while raising much needed funds to fight cancer and raise awareness of cancer prevention and treatment. (Source: volunteermatch.org).

For additional details, go to relayforlife.org.

This year, over 1.4 million Americans will hear the words, "You have cancer," according to research.

For more information on the American Cancer Society, call 800-227-2345. The website is cancer.org.