(Mirror Daily, United States) – The initiative of the Relay for Life event continues, this time in Battle Creek, at Lakeview High School. It will be an event where participants will walk for 14 hours. Over 150 people will attend this year’s Relay and everyone has a reason.

Some come to celebrate the survivors, while others come to get inspired and encouraged in their fight against cancer. Other participants take part in the event to raise funds and to honor the ones who passed away.

The Relay for Life is a great initiative organized by volunteers from many cities to raise awareness and funds to support the research of the American Cancer Society. Many people gather to bring their contribution, whereas some find their inspiration and the power to keep fighting.

Jessica Metheny, a cancer survivor, is one these participants who never gave up even if she had been diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma during her six-month pregnancy. Don Kinsley, another survivor, confessed that he had been diagnosed with stage 4 non-Hodgkin’s Mantle Cell Lymphoma in 2009.

Both of them are cancer survivors who decided to bring their contribution every year in the Battle Creek Relay for Life. This initiative began in 1985, and it has now spread throughout the whole world.

Metheny also stressed that after her grandmother had died of breast cancer, she did her best to raise awareness for cancer, but Metheny never thought that she would also get diagnosed at 27 years old.

Fortunately, her son was born healthy and safe, and then she started the chemotherapy treatment to deal with all cancer cells. She confessed that a cure existed for her type of cancer, but not everyone gets that opportunity.

That is why she decided to be a part of this event and to bring her contribution by raising awareness and funds so that all cancer fighters would see that they are not alone. You should never feel alone, especially in the battle with this devastating disease.

This is probably the most important goal of the Relay for Life because it gathers people from everywhere and it encourages them to share their stories, support and inspire each other.

Kinsley stated that he is in remission but that he had to fight a fierce battle with cancer. Still, he stressed that the most vital thing is that you must never give up. There is a huge difference between being afraid and being afraid to fight.

Everyone is afraid of something, and it is natural, but we should never be afraid to fight. The teams participating in this year’s Relay have already raised over $22,000, but their goal is $64,000.

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