Posted: 7/16/03

FL Relay for Life gets boost from foundation

Cliff Buchan
News Editor

When volunteers take to the track at Forest Lake High School for the annual Relay for Life Aug. 1, theyíll hear Sherron Melanderís name.

For most of the walkers, Melander is someone they never knew. But the St. Paul woman who died of breast cancer in 2000 is playing a valuable role in this yearís Relay for Life.

Thanks to a donation from the Edwards Foundation, the local American Cancer Society has received a $10,000 donation in Melanderís name.

The donation will go far in helping the Forest Lake relay achieve its $130,000 fund-raising goal, said Pat Milbrett, corporate fund-raising coordinator for the 2003 effort.

The 2003 fund-raising goal is the most ambitious yet for the local relay, now in its 10th year. In 1994, its first year, the Relay for Life raised $13,000 and the total has continued to grow each year.

The 2002 Relay for Life netted $121,000 for the American Cancer Society.

For Milbrett, the Edwards Foundation grant in Melanderís name will be a major shot in the arm for the relayís fund-raising effort.

A year ago corporate sponsors, including the Edwards Foundation, kicked in $17,000 to support the cause. So far this summer, Milbrett says, corporate donations, including the Edwards pledge, have totaled $14,000.

Sheís hoping that word of the Edwardsí pledge will encourage other potential corporate sponsors in the Forest Lake area to get involved.

ìBusiness and corporate sponsors are still welcome and needed,î Milbrett said.

Area businesses and organizations wishing to get involved with the Relay for Life may call Milbrett at 651-464-2809.

The Melander pledge via the Edwards Foundation is a key part of this yearís fund-raising efforts, she said.

The funds come on behalf of the St. Paul woman who worked for First Trust Company and US Bank. US Bank handles the Edwards Foundation trust and the donation to the Forest Lake Relay for Life was assisted by US Bank officer Jeff Peterson, a Forest Lake area resident who has duties with the Edwards Foundation board.

Melander was diagnosed with infectious breast cancer in October of 1998. After a treatment program that included surgery, chemotherapy and radiation, she lost the fight against cancer on Feb. 3, 2003.

She is survived by her husband of 38 years, James, and a daughter and a son, Kristine and Michael.

More on relay

The memory of cancer victims like Sherron Melander and those who have successfully battled cancer helps inspire those taking part in ACS relays across the country each year.

In Forest Lake, most of the funds raised each year come by way of $10 donations for the purchase of a luminary in honor of a cancer survivor or in the memory of a life lost to cancer.

Mary Ann Cooper is the volunteer in charge of teams for this years relay. To date, Cooper reports, 45 teams have registered for the Aug. 1-2 event.

The relay hopes to secure 50 teams for the event.

The next Relay for Life informational meeting and bank night when pledges can be turned in is 7 p.m., Monday, July 21 at Forest Hills United Methodist Church. The meeting is open to anyone wishing to get involved in the relay.

For more information about teams and taking part, call Cooper at 651-464-8758.

The Relay for Life is an all-night event where teams of eight to 15 people walk around a track, relay style, all night. At least one member of the team must be on the track at all times.

The luminaries will line the high school track and are also placed in the stadium bleachers.

The event is for the general public in addition to the hundreds of volunteers who will take part. The relay will take place from 6 p.m., Friday, Aug. 1 to 6 a.m., Saturday, Aug. 2.

A yet-to-be-released entertainment schedule is being planned for the early evening hours of the event.

Guest speaker for the night is Scott Kozimor, a regional director for a major computer software company. Kozimor, who lost a child to cancer, has spoken at a number of relay events in the past.

Future planning

The 2003 event is being planned without the services of an actual event chair. Julianne Carr, the Wyoming woman who had led the event the past six years, has stepped down from the leadership role but continues to assist others volunteers such as Milbrett and Cooper.

Anyone wishing to get involved this year and in the future should call Matt Hammerschmidt at the American Cancer Society, 651-439-1140, for more information.

Carr can also be called for more information at 651-462-8853.

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