I am once again preparing to walk in the 6th Annual Foothills Relay for Life 24-hour Cancer Walk. It was my own cancer diagnosis in 2001 that brought home to me how vulnerable each of us is, and how we have to stick together if we are going to beat this disease. By that time, I had already lost my father to colon cancer, my father-in-law to Prostate Cancer , and my niece to a brain tumor, as well as other family and friends. I decided to take a stand.

When I found out about Relay for Life, I knew it was something I could believe in. It is an event put on largely by volunteers so that almost every penny donated goes directly to the American Cancer Society. Individuals, churches, schools, corporations and community service organizations form teams. Restaurants, grocery stores and businesses in the community donate food, drinks, and the other necessities for a large group activity. There is a common bond and goal that unites us: the fight against cancer.

So, beginning at 7 a.m. on Saturday June 24, 2006, my team members and I will be taking turns walking laps around the track at Clark Magnet School in La Crescenta, California. The walk continues all day and night until 7 a.m. on Sunday, June 25. We will camp out at the track in tents, along with hundreds of people who come to celebrate family members and friends who are cancer survivors, to remember loved ones lost and to raise funds to wipe out the disease.

There are lots of activities, live entertainment, games and fun. However, there are poignant moments such as the Survivor's Lap, in which only cancer survivors walk around the track. One of the most moving experiences is the Luminaria Ceremony. Saturday night after dark, hundreds of Luminarias will be lit and placed around the track. Each Luminaria will be inscribed with a handwritten dedication in honor of, or in memory of a person with cancer. It is a moment we all remember long after the event is over.

I invite you to participate along with me. If you want to join our team or make a secure on line donation, you can do so by clicking on the following link: Make a donation to my team here!

Then click on our team name, "Team Clean Sweep" on the right hand margin. You will then see our team page where you will find my name on the list of members. You can also donate by mailing a check made out to the American Cancer Society to Ed Waldheim, 3550 Foothill Blvd., Glendale, CA, 91214. Please call me if you have any further questions at 818-247-8778, ext. 215.

Warmest regards,

Ed Waldheim