Morris leads American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life of Ellis County (Maypearl)

(Left to Right): Deede Morris (co-chair), Zoey Gust (volunteer) and Tom Livernois (speaker at the midnight Fight Back service)

Relay For Life is a fun-filled overnight event designed to celebrate survivorship and raise money for research and programs of the American Cancer Society. Winn Meat Company’s own accounts receivable supervisor Deede Morris co-chaired the Ellis County (Maypearl) relay on Friday, June 6 and helped raise over $137,000 Way to go Deede!

More than 526 people on 43 teams turned out at the Maypearl High School football stadium to support the relay. During the event, teams of people gather and take turns walking or running laps.

This life changing event brings together more than 3.5 million people across the country to:

• Celebrate the lives of those who have battled cancer. “The strength of survivors inspires others to continue to fight.”
• Remember loved ones lost to the disease. “At Relay, people who have walked alongside people battling cancer can grieve and find healing.”
• Fight Back. “We Relay because we have been touched by cancer and desperately want to put an end to the disease.”

If you would like to make a donation go to www.events.cancer.org/rflelliscountymaypearltx as fundraising continues until august 1.

About Relay for Life

In the mid-1980s, Dr. Gordy Klatt, a Tacoma colorectal surgeon, wanted to enhance the income of his local American Cancer Society office. He decided to personally raise money for the fight by doing something he enjoyed—running marathons.

In May 1985, Dr. Klatt spent a grueling 24 hours circling the track at Baker Stadium at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma for more than 83 miles. Throughout the night, friends paid $25 to run or walk 30 minutes with him. He raised $27,000 to fight cancer. That first year, nearly 300 of Dr. Klatt's friends, family, and patients watched as he ran and walked the course.

While he circled the track those 24 hours, he thought about how others could take part. He envisioned a 24-hour team relay event that could raise more money to fight cancer. Months later, he pulled together a small committee to plan the first team relay event known as the City of Destiny Classic 24-Hour Run Against Cancer. www.relayforlife.org/relay