Relay the message

If you were out and about in Agoura Hills last weekend you probably saw the excitement at Willow Elementary School on Kanan Road, where the American Cancer Society Relay For Life campout drew large crowds and round-the-clock excitement.

The 24-hour walkathon drew friends, families and loved ones together to raise funds and awareness in the fight against cancer, a disease that seems to affect all of us at some time in our lives--either ourselves or someone we know.

Lung cancer is the second-leading cause of death in the United States. Statistics show that half of all men and a third of all women will face some kind of cancer issue in their lives. Breast cancer strikes one in eight women. Among men, prostate cancer is even more common.

The fifth annual Agoura Hills relay produced record donations--more than $145,000--due to the hard work of some 60 teams that consisted mostly of young people, many of them high school students. Teenagers often get a bad rap, but these kids were amazing with their boundless energy and willingness to support a cause. The sprinklers that unexpectedly turned on at midnight caused a few frayed nerves around the campsites, and the temperatures that soared past 90 during Saturday afternoon tested everyone's mettle, but few were daunted. For 24 straight hours team members could be found walking around the makeshift track, the idea being that cancer never sleeps, so neither should the relayers.

Judging by the hundreds of visitors who stopped by, either to participate in the walkathon or observe the activities, Relay For Life has become a milestone event in the community.

Event chairs Ling Wu and Grace Goryoka and committee members Jennifer Campbell and Jeannine and Darrell Lee hardly slept a wink, not just on relay night but for almost a week leading up to the big weekend. Their hard work clearly paid off.

The giving doesn't stop here. Visit www.acsevents.org/relay/ca/agoura to find out how you can help.