By Chelsea Royer
Over 25 years ago, one colorectal surgeon named Gordy Klatt decided to walk 24 hours around a high school track in Tacoma, Washington. After seeing so many patients with cancer, Dr. Klatt decided he would raise money and awareness by asking friends to support him in his 24 hour walk. $27,000 later, Dr. Klatt had completed the first Relay for Life and began a trend that has continued and evolved for over a quarter of a century.
A year later in 1986, nineteen teams sprang up in response to Dr. Klatt’s walk and raised a total of $33,000. One of those teams belonged to Grays Harbor County. The community is now so active with Relay for Life, it is divided into two “regions” made up of multiple teams. One of which is the St. Andrews Team.
Bette Worth, one of the captains behind St. Andrews Episcopal Church Relay for Life team, carries on a similar passion to Dr. Klatt’s. She’s also incredibly competitive. Joining Bette in our conversation are two other St. Andrews team members, Bobbi McCracken and Annette Pinckey.
“Seven years ago we joined Relay for Life of Grays Harbor and our team came in second place…it killed me to come in second! We are all very competitive and were determined to beat that amount the next year,” explained Bette. “So for the last six years, we’ve raised the most money in Grays Harbor County. Our team alone ranks number five in the nation per capita and Grays Harbor County as a whole ranks number two.”
The St. Andrews Relay for Life team brought in a grand total of $71,916.53 last year, representing over a quarter of Grays Harbor’s total funds raised for the year of 2013!
Though these ladies are extremely proud of their accomplishments, being in first place isn’t the most important thing to them. What matters is the camaraderie between teams, the financial support given to the American Cancer Society, and the healing of those who have been touched by cancer. “It is about making the cause valuable to people…it is not about who wins,” expressed Bobbi.
Their friendly competition has led to seemingly endless creativity. St. Andrews began the trend of raising money all year round – not just on the day of the relay.
One of the team’s main fundraisers is that of bracelet making. Made out of bright, multi-colored beads, each bead represents a different type of cancer and comes with a guide to let you know which color represents what cancer. In the last several years, the team has raised over $200,000 in bracelet sales alone.
Other fundraisers have included Bingo nights, baked potato or spaghetti dinners, auctions, and the like.
As always, fundraising is topped off with 24 hours of relaying.Some walk for 24 hours, others for shorter intervals, and many people have booths set up with beverages and snacks for purchase – all in hopes of raising as much money and support as possible to go towards cancer research. St. Andrew’s team and others like it may have done the footwork, but they are continually impressed with the people of Grays Harbor and their generous, compassionate hearts. Despite the struggling economy, people have not ceased to band together to support and donate to the cause year after year.
Bette explains the relay itself is particularly moving because nearly everyone there has been affected by cancer in one way or another. The first lap is kicked off by cancer survivors. Some walk, some run, some move along in a wheelchair or with help from others. Regardless, they are there to give hope and comfort to others battling with what they have overcome. For Bette, this year is especially significant as the relay founder, Dr. Klatt, has been recently diagnosed with stomach cancer.
The next Relay for Life of Grays Harbor begins at 6:00 pm on May 30 and continues through 6:00 pm on May 31 at the Hoquiam High School’s Sea Breeze Oval. The local theme for this years relay is “Cooking Up a Cure.”
You can find Bette, Annette, Bobbi and the St. Andrews team at booth 17 where it sounds like there may be some renowned homemade cinnamon rolls and plenty of smiles.
Join or build a team and walk in memory of a loved one, in support of someone who battles, or to merely share a piece of the community’s heart dedicated to finding a cure.
