Relay Looks to reach beyond Alexander City

By Laura Johnson | Alex City Outlook

Published Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Benjamin Russell High School student and Arizona native Austin Green was inspired to join the battle against cancer two years ago while living in Phoenix when his 17-year-old friend, Chelsea, asked him to participate in Relay for Life before losing her battle to leukemia.

“She just radiated life,” Green said. “Up until the day she died, she never even thought of herself as sick, at all.”

Green said his friend’s enthusiasm inspired not just him, but hundreds of students at their Arizona high school to raise money for cancer research. The year after her death, the school sponsored 14 teams for Relay for Life in her honor.

Now he is bringing that enthusiasm to Tallapoosa County.

Monday night Green, his sister, Ashley, and two of their friends came to Cecil’s Public House for the Relay for Life kickoff. They are starting teams to raise money for the cause, and organizers are hoping that their enthusiasm is catching on across the county.

“Right now we are not even at 50 percent in Alexander City,” said Amanda Treadwell, an American Cancer Society representative for Tallapoosa and Coosa counties. “I think that Tallapoosa County could double its participation in the next five years.”

Relay for Life is a yearlong fundraiser comprised of teams that raise money for cancer research. It culminates each year in the spring when those teams meet at various spots across the nation for an overnight relay.

Tallapoosa County’s relay is held each year around the Central Alabama Community College track, where luminaries will line the path in honor of cancer survivors and for those who have lost their battles with cancer.

“Relay night is one of the most powerful events,” said Staci Ozgowicz who is heading up the Horseshoe Bend High School senior team with fellow student Adam Taylor. “It’s just really inspirational.”

Last year Tallapoosa County Relay for Life raised $50,000, falling $22,000 short of its $77,000 goal. Organizers attribute the shortfall to an ailing economy but are upping the ante this year. Instead of $77,000 they plan to raise $80,000 and they are calling on help from the county’s schools and church youth groups to help reach their goal.

“We’re trying to get every school in Tallapoosa County involved,” Treadwell said. “The kids, once they get behind something, once they get motivated, they can do anything.”

In addition to soliciting participation from schools, they are also reaching out to people in Dadeville, New Site and Camp Hill.

“People think that because it’s in Alex City that it’s an Alex City event, but it’s not, it’s a countywide event,” said Bridget Hand, Relay for Life chairwoman for Tallapoosa County.

They are asking people to participate in one of two ways. The first is to become a sponsor by giving a lump sum of money and the second is to form a team to participate in May. 14 event.

At the Monday night kickoff organizers were greeted by past participants who stopped by to pick up registration forms and donation packages and to gear up for another year of fundraising for the event.

“It’s something everybody should get involved in, one way or the other,” Ozgowicz said. “There is nothing bad about helping people who can’t help themselves when they are that sick.”

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