Few people get involved with Relay for Life without a reason, and few people have never been touched by cancer. With the Relay for Life event happening at the end of this month, we want to share some of east Lincoln County’s reasons to Relay.

Whether it’s a story about how you’ve battled your own cancer or watched someone else’s battle, sharing that story helps spread the importance of funding cancer research.

If you have a story to share, email me at editor@denverncweekly.com.

I Relay because…

… I saw firsthand what ovarian cancer did to my mother over the six years she fought it.

She was a strong, athletic lady in her late 50s when she was diagnosed. She was a local and state golf and tennis champion and an ex-high school basketball player. She raised three large sons and a daughter and never took any gruff from any of us.

The decline in her health, and the pain and discomfort caused by the disease and the treatments were inexorable and devastating. But she fought the battle with every ounce of energy and with a strength and dignity I only hope I could muster in those circumstances.

I knew when she finally succumbed to the cancer that I had to do anything I could to advance the pursuit of cures for ovarian cancer, and all other cancers. I have a wife, a son and three daughters, a sister, several nieces, and many friends with daughters, and I hope and pray neither they, their daughters, nor their sons, will ever have to face any cancer.

Sometimes the progress seems way too slow, but progress is being made. There are many diseases and much need in this world, but my personal cause is fighting cancer. I will continue to fight back until cures for all cancers are found.

I know Ann Price is with us, and would approve. I know she would do the same if the roles had been reversed.

–  Craig Price, East Lincoln

Relay for Life co-chair

My reason to Relay is …

… pretty straight forward: I’m a cancer survivor – seven years, four months –  and I want others to be survivors as well. I want to earn as much as I can so that research can be done to prevent anyone and everyone from ever hearing the words, “You have cancer.”

I had thyroid cancer in November 2004. I had a thyroidectomy, and was then given radioactive iodine as the treatment to kill other cancer cells in January 2005. I was diagnosed with stage 4 papillary thyroid cancer.

What I wasn’t told was that the radioactive iodine causes some side affects. I had dry eyes and saliva gland and tear duct scaring. I had to be isolated for 14 days. I couldn’t be around small children for six months. No flying for six months.

I also ended up with a lot of scar tissue in my neck and a nicked vocal cord, so I can’t yell.

I was told there’s a 70 percent chance of reoccurrence as another form of cancer.

Since 2005, the research that has been completed on thyroid cancer is phenomenal. They actually do not give radioactive iodine to most papillary thyroid cancer patients anymore.

I feel that my money earned has helped in the research and that someone else who may be diagnosed with thyroid cancer won’t have to go through what I did.

This makes me very happy and I’m happy to earn as much money as possible for Relay for Life, to benefit all forms of cancer research.

– Anne Willis East Lincoln

Relay for Life co-chair