What's so special about Relay for Life? It's the time of year that Relay for Life signs are appearing all over Chickasaw County as teams prepare for our 12th annual relay, which is a national fund raiser for the American Cancer Society. As your co-chairman, along with Sarah Flake of Okolona, I would like to take this means to beg you to understand the importance of Relay for Life.

A few local nay sayers have once again began complaining about the money leaving Chickasaw County. Just for the records, this is not exactly true. Part of the money raised during our local campaign directly benefits Chickasaw County citizens. Money is available to help with transportation for radiation patients, wigs are available to ladies who have lost their hair due to treatments, breast care needs may be obtained for breast cancer patients and many support groups are available for all types of cancer.

More importantly, our dollars go for research, which benefits all our residents. Early detection is one of the most important tools in the treatment of cancer as research continues to offer the latest technology, much of which is available right here in North Mississippi, even in Houston. New drugs are continually added to the market, which helps in the fight against cancer and also to alleviate nausea and other side effects of treatments.

All of these reasons may not answer the question about why relay is so important, so please let me indulge in a more personal way. As a cancer survivor, I know the fears and heartbreak that comes with the diagnosis of cancer. I also know the hope that is offered by the latest and best methods of dealing with this disease. Thankfully, my cancer was detected very early and the only treatment I needed was a five-year oral therapy. Incidentally, the drug I was prescribed came on the market during the years we were holding Relay for Life right here in Chickasaw County. Our dollars may have indeed helped get this drug on the market and prevented me from suffering through radiation and/or chemo. I am almost half way through my five years and pray daily that I will still be cancer free at the end of the five years.

Also, in September of 2007, my childhood sweetheart and husband of 43 years, Phillip Dendy, was diagnosed with cancer. He had to undergo several months of chemo, followed by six weeks of radiation five days a week. Following radiation, he had to resume chemo, which he had to continue until his death in October of 2008. Even though he suffered through all his treatments, without the miracle drugs he was able to obtain to help with his many side effects, his suffering could have been much worse.

As with so many other local residents, he met his cancer head-on and fought with all his strength and dignity to beat it. I refuse to say he "lost his battle", because as I have stated often during the last several Relays, those who endure treatments do not lose; they fight with everything they have. If you don't believe this, then visit an area cancer center and see for yourself. In Phil's case, as with many other local residents, he didn't lose the battle; he gained the ultimate victory, an eternity with his loved ones praising our Lord and Savior forever.

This year, there are nine Relay for Life teams: Carnation Baptist Church of Okolona, Chickasaw Chics of Houston, Chickasaw Graphics of Houston, City of Houston, Faith Outreach Church of Okolona, First Baptist Church of Okolona, HIS Team of Fellowship Baptist and Macedonia Methodist Churches, Houston Teachers and Regions Bank of Houston. This year's theme is Disney movies and camp sites and other activities will follow the theme.

Corporate sponsors to date are Bank of Okolona/ Houston Banking and Parks and Parks Water Service. Survivors sponsor is Farm Bureau of Houston and in-kind survivors sponsor is Brenda's Concert Hall of Okolona. Media sponsors are The Chickasaw Journal and The Okolona Messenger.

Relay night will be May 15 at Joe Brigance Park in Houston. Survivors are asked to be on hand between 5:00 and 5:30 to register, receive survivors t-shirts and enjoy refreshments with other survivors. Relay activities will begin at 6 p.m. with the opening ceremony. This will be followed with survivors beginning the night with the victory lap. Each survivor's name will be announced as they make their walk. Family members and close friends are invited to join their survivor in the second lap, which will be followed by everyone who wishes to walk taking the track on the third lap.

Teams activities and entertainment will be provided throughout the night. The luminary candle light service to honor survivors and remember loved ones will be held around 9 p.m. This is a very special and emotional time as bags with lighted candles are placed around the track and each name and donor is read. Luminaries can be purchased for $10 and are available from any team or committee member and may also be purchased until around 8:30 p.m. relay night. Also luminaries in memory of Tommy Griffin are still available from members of HIS Team.

In closing, I encourage each of you to support these Relay teams as they hold various fund raisers around our county. I also invite you to be a part of Relay night. As a survivor, I can hardly explain what it means to see the love and support of team members and attendees as they applaud and gives hugs, handshakes and words of love and encouragement to survivors as they make their victory lap. It's just an emotional experience to feel this community wide support and I encourage all survivors to come and be a part of our Relay.

I hope this helps answer the question of why Relay is so special. If you are a survivor or have experienced the diagnosis of a loved one, then you will understand why it's so important. If not, then I encourage you to do two things: (1) give thanks to the Lord each day that you and your loved ones are cancer free and (2) help those of us who have dealt with the diagnosis and the heartbreak that it brings by supporting our efforts through Relay for Life.

Jean Dendy is a resident of Houston. She is a cancer survivor and co-chair of the 2009 Chickasaw County Relay for Life.