Relay for Life walkers will walk around the clock June 27, 2008

The American Cancer Society's Relay For Life of Winnebago County is planned for 6 p.m. June 27 through 9 a.m. June 28 at the Oshkosh West High School track. The event is a celebration in honor and in memory of those who have been touched by cancer.

Relay For Life involves teams of eight to 15 people who take turns walking or running around a track through the night. Team members may camp out on the surrounding grounds for the duration of the overnight event to enjoy food and entertainment.

This year's honorary chairwoman and opening speaker is local cancer survivor Connie Boehnlein.

On Monday Chris Sifuentes-Futrell learned the results of a recent biopsy on her thyroid: inconclusive.

That means she’ll have to decide whether to have another biopsy, after which, if the lump is cancerous, the rest of the gland would be removed, or to simply have the entire thyroid taken out at once.

“I have some decisions to make as to what I want to do,” Sifuentes-Futrell said. “I think either way I have to take some medicine for the rest of my life.”

Whichever way it turns out, Sifuentes-Futrell is already a cancer survivor. In February she was diagnosed with breast cancer and had a double mastectomy in April.

Sifuentes-Futrell is the co-founder, with Cheryl Chadwick, of the Kaw Valley Relay For Life.

Walkers will go around the clock in the battle against cancer during the fifth annual American Cancer Society Relay For Life of Elmore County/Mountain Home at the end of this month.

Teams from Elmore County and Mountain Home AFB will gather at the Mountain Home Junior High School track on June 27 at 7 p.m. for an overnight relay against cancer.

Relay For Life, the Society's signature event, is described by organizers as "a life-changing experience that helps us celebrate the lives of those who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost and to fight back against a disease that takes too much. This unforgettable event raises awareness and funds to save lives, help those touched by cancer, and empower people to fight back against this disease."