Relay for Life generates plenty of support
Marc Scott handed out free water bottles to walkers at a previous Chartiers-Houston Relay for Life. Scott volunteers with the Olivia Scott Foundation, which he founded in honor of his daughter, Olivia Scott, who died of liver cancer in 2009.
Washington County Commissioner Harlan Shober sported pink hair last year to support his wife, Jackie, and others who are coping with breast cancer. Jackie Shober will cut the opening-ceremony ribbon Saturday at the Chartiers-Houston Relay for Life at Allison Park Elementary School.
For eight years, Julie Senchak has served as a team captain for Relay for Life at South Fayette/Bridgeville, and five years ago, she decided to join the relay committee as well.
And she is doing it all in memory of her mother, Beverly Senchak, who died of breast cancer in 2011 at age 55.
“She struggled with breast cancer for 12 years,” Senchak said. “The advancements they’ve made in medicine have been amazing. Advancements are made every day.”
The South Fayette/Bridgeville Relay for Life to benefit the American Cancer Society will be held from noon to 12:30 a.m. Saturday at South Fayette High School Stadium, and is one of three area relays being held that day. The others are:
• Chartiers-Houston, a 24-hour event at Allison Park Elementary School that will begin at 10:45 a.m. Saturday with the opening ceremony.
• Washington High School, which will be held from noon to 9 p.m. at Wash High Stadium, with the survivor ceremony to begin at noon.
The South Fayette/Bridgeville Relay for Life is in its 21st year, and last year, on its 20th anniversary, it reached the $1 million mark in total money raised. It also won the national Relay for Life All-American Award for achieving increases in all aspects of the relay, including money raised, number of teams and number of participants, with 185 people registered for the event.
The goal this year is to raise $53,000.
Senchak’s team, Beverly’s Brigade, has already raised at least $5,000. Some of the money has come from the Daffodil Days fundraiser, held in March by the American Cancer Society, and individual donations. Senchak also is serving as chairwoman of the 5K walk/run, which is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. All of the money from the entry fee for the family-friendly event “goes to fight cancer,” Senchak said.
Among the other events planned are a Paws on Parade dog walk at 12:30 p.m., the survivor ceremony at 6 p.m. and the luminaria ceremony, with each luminaria bag representing a loved one who died of cancer. It supports those affected by it, and honors survivors.
“There’s a lot about the survivors, too, but they really care about the people who passed away, too,” Senchak said. “Everybody knows someone who is struggling with cancer.”
And, as always, she is looking forward to the relay.
“It’s a great cause and definitely worth fighting for,” Senchak said. “This year it’s been great. I’m really excited.”
Breast cancer survivor Jackie Shober, wife of Washington County Commissioner Harlan Shober, will cut the opening-ceremony ribbon at the Chartiers-Houston relay.
Among the events at the C-H events is a Food Truck & Dinner Party, featuring four Pittsburgh area food and style trucks, from 5 to 8 p.m. Saturday.
In addition, Shriners from Washington will entertain and participate in the event. Matthew Boice, president of the local Shriners caravan, said the Shriners became involved at the request of Nancy Verderber, Relay for Life specialist with the American Cancer Society. Boice is director of the Washington Festival Chorale, and Verderber is a member of the group. The choir previously performed a concert to support breast cancer, so Verderber figured there was no harm asking the Shriners to participate.
Even though Shriners are not permitted to raise money for other charities, since they financially support the Shriners Hospitals for Children, that “doesn’t mean we can’t support them,” Boice said.
“We will be there for moral support,” he said.
The Shriners will have a few clowns, create balloon animals for the kids and bring mini-semitrucks. The local Shriners group has nearly 50 members, and Boice is hoping 15 to 20 Shriners will participate in the relay.
“It should be a good time,” Boice said. “You don’t see Shriners in public, but our real objective is helping people.”
This is just the second year Washington High School has been involved in Relay for Life. Austin Sperl, a 2016 graduate of Wash High, organized the relay last year after his father, Mark, was diagnosed with bladder cancer. It was the first student-run Relay for Life in Washington County.
Like most relays, the Wash High event will include a survivors’ lap, caregivers’ lap and a luminaria ceremony, which begins at 8:30 p.m.