MANSFIELD, Ohio — For Roselyn Ramey, Relay For Life is more than just a fundraiser; it’s a chance to celebrate, remember and fight back. On Saturday, June 21, she was able to do just that at the Relay For Life in Mansfield at the Richland County Fairgrounds.
Relay For Life started in May 1985 when Dr. Gordy Klatt walked around a track in Tacoma, Washington for 24 hours. His efforts ultimately raised $27,000 for the American Cancer Society. This year marks the relay’s 30th year and it marks Ramey’s 10th year cancer-free.
In January 2005, Ramey received news that would shake her world: she had stage two breast cancer in her right breast. The cancer eventually cost her her right breast and four months of chemotherapy.
“The hardest part was telling my parents,” Ramey remembered. Her grandmother and her father’s sisters all died from it. Then, her husband’s father died from lung cancer and her uncles died from some form of cancer. Needless to say, her parents feared the worst for their daughter.
“But I just remember thinking, ‘Well, we just have to take care of this.’ I wasn’t going to wallow in self-pity. I have kids, I have grandchildren. I went into fight mode, I guess,” she said.
According to the American Cancer Society, five to 10 percent of breast cancer cases are genetically linked. Knowing this, Ramey decided to join Relay For Life’s organization to help raise money for cancer research. She now serves as co-chair for the board in Mansfield.
“They’re (her children and grandchildren) why I participate and do this. I don’t want them to go through what I went through,” said Ramey.
Ramey remembered the first — and worst — day she went to OhioHealth MedCentral for her first session of chemotherapy. “There was a young fella, maybe 18-years-old, sitting in an infusion chair next to me. As an adult, seeing a kid go through it …” she trailed off. “He didn’t make it,” she added.
Saturday’s event, held inside Fairhaven Hall due to rainy weather, was Ramey’s and other cancer fighters and survivors’ chance to fight back against cancer. All 23 registered teams of community members crowded inside the hall for a day of remembering their lost loved ones and celebrating the lives of the survivors.
Every hour, from 10 a.m. to 12 a.m., participants walked one mile to a different theme. Some of the different themes included crazy hats, crazy bras (for breast cancer survivors and fighters), and beach attire. At the end of the hour, a panel of judges voted on the winner.
The event raised nearly $20,000 for cancer research. The goal of $35,000 can still be reached, according to Ramey. “Our fiscal year ends on August 31, so we still have time,” she said.
Bernice “Betty” Hill’s daughter, Rosie, had Hodgkin’s lymphoma 10 years ago. She fought through 21 sessions of chemotherapy and survived. Six months ago, she received another blow: she had contracted colon cancer. Rosie is in her 50s.
“She fought Hodgkin’s hard and she’s fighting this one like hell too,” said Betty.
Her team on Saturday consisted of her family and friends who all wore red shirts labeled, “Rosie’s Warriors.”
Mother-daughter Relay for Life volunteers Lyn and Caitlyn Fisher have participated in the relay for 16 years. Lyn joined after she survived her own bout of breast cancer in 1999. Caitlyn reflected on the day’s weather.
“It stinks that there’s rain, but we’re making it work. Cancer doesn’t stop so neither should we,” said Caitlyn.
“But I just remember thinking, ‘Well, we just have to take care of this.’ I wasn’t going to wallow in self-pity. I have kids, I have grandchildren. I went into fight mode, I guess,” Roselyn Ramey said.
