Coast cities go purple for Cancer Society

by Clayton Wallace

Gulf Shores/OrangeBeach, AL - In recent proclamations, the mayors of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach expressed their support for the American Cancer Society and the 2010 Relay For Life of the Alabama Gulf Coast. Mayor Robert Craft of Gulf Shores said the proclamation meant more to him than many realize. Craft is a cancer survivor, having undergone treatments for the disease since he was elected mayor in 2008.

The proclamations state that each city will take part in the “Paint the Town Purple” program. Through this program, individuals and businesses can purchase purple ribbons from Relay committee members and display them on their homes and businesses.

“These ribbons are just one way the people who live and work in our cities can show their support for the three tenets of Relay – Celebrate, Remember and Fight Back,” Paint the Town Purple Chairman Kathy Schneider said. “We celebrate those who have fought this dreaded disease and have survived. We remember those who fought, but could not overcome the disease. We fight back with the goal of eradicating cancer so that in the future no person has to hear a doctor tell them they have the disease.”

Allison Faircloth is the area’s community liaison with the ACS, and a cancer survivor. “Many people don’t realize the great strides in cancer research we have made in the past several years. The ACS has funded more Nobel Prize winners in medicine than any other organization,” she said. “The research that goes into more effective treatments will one day bring about a cure. My goal, and the goal of Relay, is that no one will ever have to hear their doctor utter the phrase ‘You have cancer.’”

This year’s Relay will take place May 1 at the Orange Beach Sportsplex from 10 a.m. until 10 p.m. There will be activities for cancer survivors, Relay team members and anyone else who wishes to attend. Musical entertainment will take place throughout the day with the Trey Hill Band, the Bud Smith Band, Ken Matthews and others.

Something new for this area’s Relay this year will be a Children’s Village with games, activities and special guests scheduled throughout the day. “I’m really excited about the Children’s Village,” Faircloth said. “Kimberly Ray and Victoria Roberson have really outdone themselves putting together fun and interesting activities for the children.”

Also planned for Relay is the return of the “Cheeseburger in Paradise” cookoff from noon until 2 p.m. There will be two divisions, one for restaurants and the other for Relay teams. “You hear people say all the time that this restaurant or that restaurant has the best burger around,” Faircloth said. “We’re giving them the chance to prove it. People will purchase a ticket good for a burger and chips, and the team that collects the most tickets will walk away with the ‘People’s Choice’ award. We will also have a panel of professional judges to decide who wins in the restaurant division.”

Anyone interested in forming a team for this year’s Relay, purchasing a purple ribbon or helping Relay in some other capacity, should contact Faircloth at 251-928-8650 or allison.faircloth@cancer.org.