It was a time of celebration and remembrance last Wednesday during the annual Survivor's Banquet before the Relay For Life.
"This banquet is for the unsung heroes and we appreciate everything that you do," said Bob Knox, Jr., the McDuffie Relay For Life co-chair.
Approximately 250 survivors, caregivers and family members gathered in the Family Life Center at First United Methodist Church of Thomson and enjoyed a meal catered by Charlotte Derry and music by Jim McGaw. Servers were students from Thomson High School. Each survivor received a T-shirt, 2008 Relay pin, keychain and refrigerator magnet photo holder.
Organizer David Ruehle described a program that's in the works for survivors called "McDuffie Survivor Network," which will be a telephone-chain means of contacting those in the group and "letting them know when someone is having a rough time.
"And you can do whatever you want with the information. You can send a card, give them a call or say a prayer," Dr. Ruehle said. "We are a close knit community."
Mr. Knox said he'd asked the American Cancer Society Manager, Danielle Caldwell, to come up with another challenge for this year's Relay. Last year, Miss Caldwell had her hair painted red and black when McDuffie County reached their predetermined goal of $250,000.
"But I'm getting married in July, so painting the hair is definitely out this year," she quipped.
Miss Caldwell said she thought she would promise to kiss a baby pig if the county reached its goal, which is again $250,000. But when she made that announcement to those sitting at her table during the banquet, it wasn't good enough.
"So I'm telling you that I will kiss a goat," she said. "I'm not sure where I'll kiss it, but I will if you make the goal."
The two keynote speakers of the event were Connie Richards and Barney Greene, both of whom lost their husbands to cancer within the last year.
Ms. Richards described the emotional roller coaster that caregivers go through, giving a personal account from her experience with her husband, George.
"I went through all the emotions of all caregivers. I was scared, I was depressed, and then exhaustion set in really, really quick," she said.
Ms. Greene echoed the sentiments, telling of the time after her husband Joseph's surgery, when he told the nurse she didn't need to return to change his dressing, because his wife could do it.
"I said I can't do that, but I did," she said. "Now, all I have to do is take the test, and I'm a certified LPN. ... Joseph always said there was nothing you couldn't do. He told everybody that, and he lived it."
As they do every year, the survivors walked the first lap of the Relay.
"I thought it was going to rain for a little bit," Dr. Ruehle said. "There was a real dark cloud overhead when we started the opening ceremony. But once it was over, the wind blew the cloud away and the sun came out. It was really good. And the first lap was great, we had a great crowd."
