Students, Teachers to Honor Cancer Survivors at Relay for Life

Want to help Beverly Hills residents who are affected by cancer? Make plans this weekend to join the Relay for Life, a 24-hour walkathon sponsored by the American Cancer Society to increase cancer awareness and raise funds to fight the disease.

Relay for Life events are held each year all over the country. Relays are 24 hours in length, representing the reality that cancer never sleeps. Participants are invited to camp at night, and entertainment is offered during the day.

This year, several city schools are supporting the Beverly Hills relay, which will be held this weekend on the grounds of El Rodeo School.

Horace Mann parent Susan Kimura became involved with Relay for Life last year because she was looking for a way to get her two children involved in a charity fundraiser. Moreover, both of her parents are cancer survivors.

This year's Horace Mann team includes school staff and PTA members, and Kimura has successfully gotten other city schools involved.

“I am very happy that this year the entire school community will be joining together to raise money and learn about cancer prevention and how the American Cancer Society can help,” she said.

First-grade teacher Christy Fuhrer and her husband, acting Assistant Principal Christian Fuhrer, are the honorary chairs of “Team Horace Mann.” Christy is a breast cancer survivor who lost her mother to cancer a few months ago.

The Fuhrers have successfully led an effort to get other staff involved, and to integrate the lessons of Relay for Life in the classroom. Second-grade teachers tracking Horace Mann’s fundraising efforts through the Relay website are using the graphics there to teach graphs, Fuhrer said, while other teachers are having their students write letters to anyone they know who is fighting cancer.

“My students will be writing letters to Sienna, a first-grader at Beverly Vista who has cancer,” Christy Fuhrer said.

Team Beverly Vista/Team Sienna is being led by Michele Kalt, Sienna’s mother. Kalt described her involvement in the charity event on the Relay for Life website:

“My 7-year-old daughter Sienna was diagnosed with a very rare form of cancer called fibromyxoid sarcoma. She has already undergone two large operations, spinal taps, cat scans, MRIs and will need more… I thought if I could find some fun activity that involved cancer and her friends, maybe we could put cancer in a positive light somehow for Sienna.”

The relay starts at 9 a.m. Saturday on the track at El Rodeo, and ends at 9 a.m. Sunday. There will be a "luminaria ceremony" at nightfall to honor and remember those who have been lost to cancer.

The city is lifting parking restrictions for many streets near the school during this time. Check the event website for more information and to sign up for a team.

Donations of any amount are welcome,  although a minimum of $100 is suggested. You can also support the relay with your time.

Volunteers are needed to help with the setup and cleanup at 6:30 a.m. each day. Workers are also needed to staff the registration desk Saturday morning. To offer help, contact volunteer chair Jeromy Meyer at jeromy_meyer@yahoo.com or Horace Mann team leader Susan Kimura at susankimura@yahoo.com.

Student help is needed as well. Check with your child’s school to see what it is doing at the race. Team Horace Mann, for instance, will be running a lemonade stand.

We all—unfortunately—have been touched by cancer in some way. My family and I will be walking for my close friend Gail, who is fighting lymphoma. Who will you walk for?

Be sure to follow Beverly Hills Patch on Twitter and "Like" us on Facebook.