Friday is recognized as National Dress in Blue Day, for National Colorectal Cancer Awareness month — and the Southold Relay for Life team has pledged to stand strong with Riverhead businesses that went blue in March to help educate and enlighten.
An organizational meeting was held Wednesday at Southold Elementary School to plan the Southold Relay for Life, which will be held for the first time this year in Greenport, at Mitchell Park, on Saturday, May 31, from noon to midnight.
Relay for Life is a community-driven event, held at Jean Cochran Park in Peconic in past years, which celebrates cancer survivors, remembers those who’ve lost the battle, and aims to fight back by raising funds and awareness to help eradicate cancer from the landscape.
At Wednesday’s informational meeting, Claire Smith, Relay for Life specialist, outlined plans for the coming event and said team leaders and members in attendance should support Riverhead and go blue.
Riverhead businesses, she said, have come together to raise awareness about the third deadliest cancer for men and women alike. Businesses have adorned their windows with blue lights and educational materials; the Riverhead project, she said, has a special drink called “Bottom’s Up,” a fun way to shed light on a serious issue; free colonoscopies are also on the agenda.
The goal, she said, is to push screenings, with an objective of screening up to 80 percent of Americans by 2018, according to the National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable.
“I’m 22 and I’m standing here talking about colon cancer,” Smith said. “I think about my dad. He had a polyp. If he hadn’t had a screening, he might not be here with me right now. You have to be proactive. Go to the people you love and tell them to be screened. Tell them, ‘I’m here because I’m trying to save your life.'”
Fundraising literature and team information was also distributed at the event. Future Southold Relay for Life informational meetings will be held on Tuesday, April 8 and Wedneday, May 14. For more information, contact Claire Smith at 631-300-3146.
