The IU Health Starke Hospital Relay for Life Team was honored during the kick off event on Thursday, Jan. 10. Emily Waters, director of Patient Access at IU Health Starke Hospital, was presented with the Silver Team award by Relay co-chair Samantha Sims in recognition of their efforts in the 2012 event. Publicity Chairperson Megan Hamand said this year’s goal is for at least 44 teams to raise a total of $60,000 for cancer research. This year’s theme is “Colors of Cancer,” and IU Health Starke Hospital chose the color orange to represent luekemia. Waters said they chose orange to honor Robyn Ortt, a former colleague of the hospital who passed away from leukemia. The 2013 Relay For Life will be Friday night and Saturday morning June 7 and 8 and will be held again this year at the Starke County Fairgrounds in Hamlet. A number of individuals took to the stage during the kick off event, displaying signs informing those in attendance of their special “In Memory” and “In Honor” family and friend members. Waters said almost everyone is touched by cancer in some way, and it’s rewarding to see the community come together to fight back as one. Waters went on to say, “Even though Relay For Life is a fundraiser, it is also about remembering those who have lost the fight to cancer, and survivors of the disease too.”
