ZEBULON - The American Cancer Society is obsessed with numbers. They know, however, that every number associated with a cancer statistic represents an individual, a family, a friend, and a community affected by the diagnosis. According to www.cancer.org, fifteen years ago the Society set aggressive goals for the year 2015 to measurably reduce the impact of cancer, to decrease cancer mortality by 50 percent, to reduce cancer incidence by 25 percent, and to improve quality of life for people with the disease.

In recent years, both incidence and death rates for all cancers have decreased for both men and women. Since the early 1990’s, more than 767,000 cancer deaths have been averted. Today, we are helping to prevent 350 cancer deaths PER DAY with a goal of 1,000 per day by 2015! Five year survival rates continue to improve, from 50% in the late 1970’s to 66% today. The more than 11 million Americans who are cancer survivors – twice the number from just 20 years ago - are living proof of progress toward these goals.

Despite this progress, www.cancer.org states that cancer remains the leading killer in the United States for those under age 85 and accounts for one of every four deaths. More than 1.5 million new cancer cases are expected to be diagnosed and 1,500 people per day or over 500,000 are expected to die from the disease in 2011.

From a local perspective, through the efforts of The American Cancer Society’s signature fundraising event, Relay for Life of Pike County, over $35,000 was raised in 2011 through the efforts of 298 participants, while 250 cancer survivors were identified in Pike County. Members of our community who benefitted directly from the money raised this year were 7 cancer patients who had their transportation to treatment needs met through the Road to Recovery program, 4 patients received lodging at the Hope Lodge in Atlanta for a total of 30 days (cost $1,000 per day for a total of $30,000), 2 patients received assistance with payment for medications, and 2 patients received Look Good Feel Better services.

From a personal perspective, the money raised by the American Cancer Society and Relay for Life events provided the research that developed the medications and knowledge that have allowed my husband to be counted a Cancer Survivor and to celebrate another birthday with his family. Through your generous support his statistic is counted not in the 1 in 4 death rate from cancer but as one of the 350 lives saved each day. From the bottom of my heart, I thank you!

For more information on any of the programs listed above, go to www.cancer.org or contact Rachel Newcomer, ACS Community Manager at (770) 631-0625. For information on how you can become involved in Relay for Life of Pike County, contact Angel Stowers, Chair, at (770) 713-1579. Be sure to mark your calendar for upcoming meetings in the Pike County Middle School Media Center on February 16th, March 15th, and April 19th at 7 p.m. in the Pike County Middle School Cafeteria.

This year's Relay for Life begins on the evening of Friday, May 18, 2012 and runs through 7 a.m. on Saturday, May 19, 2012 at the Pike County School Track on Highway 19 beside Pike Primary School.

This year's Relay for Life theme is "Making Cancer a Thing of the Past!" Our goal for 2012 is $37,000.

Click here to register your team and see how teams have already raised more than $6,000 for this year's event!