Relay For Life of Riverbend Presented by OSF HealthCare

St. Andrew's Episcopal Church

Fighting the Beast

 

I’m Elizabeth Donald, captain of the St. Andrew’s team. I’ve been walking Relays off and on for more than 20 years, most of them here in Edwardsville.  I’m not a cancer survivor or caregiver. 

But I am angry.

I’m angry because there’s a list of people in my life I should be able to introduce you to, and they’re not here anymore. Too many friends and family, members of our church, loved ones who were taken from us too soon because of cancer.

And then there’s the folks who have fought cancer and won their battles, a list that is fortunately much longer than the list of those we've lost... and growing longer every year.

Is there anyone, anywhere, who hasn’t been touched by cancer? 

My friend David didn’t have a lot of patience for the people who told him, “I’ll pray for you,” and did nothing else. He was a man in a pitched battle, and words just didn’t fix it. Not for him, and not for his kids. He was angry, and felt cheated of the life he wanted. 

As a woman of faith, I do believe that prayer has meaning. But I also think David had a point. Prayer without action isn’t as useful as standing up and doing something about it.

We donate. We hold fundraisers. We walk the track. And we share our stories, stories of the fight with the Beast. We remind everyone that cancer is the truly universal disease, the one that touches us all. We do not walk the Relay to torture ourselves, a sponsored endurance test. We do it to stand watch, taking turns into the night, reminding each other that we are all in this together.

It’s my hope that someday, this won’t be necessary. That they’ll make the breakthrough, and we won’t lose any more talented artists, brilliant minds, teachers, spouses, friends.

Because Rachel should be laughing with me and Candace should be planning her next Disney vacation. Shorty should be melting plastic cups with the Blue Stuff. Dick should be throwing a baseball with his grandchildren. My uncle Brian should be mocking my beloved Cardinals. Andy should be singing a Broadway tune with me and laughing when I get the words wrong.

It isn’t fair.

It isn’t right.

And it can be stopped.

 

I believe that.

I hope you do, too.

St. Andrew's Episcopal Church - Join Team Raised
Elizabeth Donald $0.00
Hope Club Personal Donation Made Lyndia Pezza $200.00
Team Gifts $0.00
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St. Andrews Relay 2018
St. Andrews Relay 2018

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6 out of 16 teams

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Help the American Cancer Society fund cancer research, patient support, and advocacy efforts to end cancer as we know it, for everyone.

$200 raised of $3000 goal

49 days left

Fighting the Beast

 

I’m Elizabeth Donald, captain of the St. Andrew’s team. I’ve been walking Relays off and on for more than 20 years, most of them here in Edwardsville.  I’m not a cancer survivor or caregiver. 

But I am angry.

I’m angry because there’s a list of people in my life I should be able to introduce you to, and they’re not here anymore. Too many friends and family, members of our church, loved ones who were taken from us too soon because of cancer.

And then there’s the folks who have fought cancer and won their battles, a list that is fortunately much longer than the list of those we've lost... and growing longer every year.

Is there anyone, anywhere, who hasn’t been touched by cancer? 

My friend David didn’t have a lot of patience for the people who told him, “I’ll pray for you,” and did nothing else. He was a man in a pitched battle, and words just didn’t fix it. Not for him, and not for his kids. He was angry, and felt cheated of the life he wanted. 

As a woman of faith, I do believe that prayer has meaning. But I also think David had a point. Prayer without action isn’t as useful as standing up and doing something about it.

We donate. We hold fundraisers. We walk the track. And we share our stories, stories of the fight with the Beast. We remind everyone that cancer is the truly universal disease, the one that touches us all. We do not walk the Relay to torture ourselves, a sponsored endurance test. We do it to stand watch, taking turns into the night, reminding each other that we are all in this together.

It’s my hope that someday, this won’t be necessary. That they’ll make the breakthrough, and we won’t lose any more talented artists, brilliant minds, teachers, spouses, friends.

Because Rachel should be laughing with me and Candace should be planning her next Disney vacation. Shorty should be melting plastic cups with the Blue Stuff. Dick should be throwing a baseball with his grandchildren. My uncle Brian should be mocking my beloved Cardinals. Andy should be singing a Broadway tune with me and laughing when I get the words wrong.

It isn’t fair.

It isn’t right.

And it can be stopped.

 

I believe that.

I hope you do, too.

Thank You to All The Donors

Thank you for fueling the American Cancer Society's fight against cancer.

Donate to Save Lives

Event Details

Date: Saturday, June 8, 2024

Location: Roxana, IL

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How Fundraising Impacts Your Community

Cancer hits far too close to home, so the funds you raise will help do the same. Through services and resources like free rides to chemo, free places to stay near hospitals, and a live 24/7 helpline, cancer patients and their families will feel the love. Here’s how recent money raised has been put to incredible uses.

As of January 2022, we have invested $400 M for potentially lifesaving cancer research grants.

We have received over 250,000 calls and chats from patients and caregivers seeking support in 2021

Cancer patients benefited from ACS transportation support through our Road TO Recovery program and transportation grants in 2021, with nearly 229,000 rides provided.

Our Sponsors

Many thanks to our generous sponsors for fueling the American Cancer Society's fight against cancer.

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The ACS Rewards program is our way of thanking you for your creativity and passion! Earn points for every dollar raised and you can redeem those points for Relay products and swag.

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Cancer has touched all of us in some way. And we want to stop this disease in its tracks. We'll spend the next few weeks fundraising for the American Cancer Society. Then, on the day of the event, we'll honor the lives lost to cancer, celebrate survivors, and support the caregivers who so selflessly help others.  

Together, we'll be a part of making a difference in this important cause.

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