Most have pulled all-nighters at one time or another — for work, school or a night on the town that blends into the morning — but hundreds of LGBTs are expected to camp out all night in South Jersey this summer for an even worthier cause: the fight against cancer.
Supporters of the American Cancer Society will host the first-ever national GLBT Relay for Life June 25-26 at the Oscar McClinton Waterfront Park in Atlantic City.
Relays for Life — in which teams of supporters walk around a track continuously for 24 hours to raise money for ACS — have been held for 25 years, but the Atlantic City event marks the first time a relay will be geared specifically to the LGBT community. A similar LGBT relay will be held September in New York City.
Dr. Tammy Ledden, a Millville, N.J., chiropractor, is one of the co-chairs for the New Jersey event. Ledden, a lesbian, is herself a cancer survivor and said she has several family members who’ve also battled the disease, some of whom didn’t survive.
Ledden noted that the LGBT community is disproportionately affected by cancer, something she said many community members don’t realize.
“There’s a higher rate of smoking in the lesbian community, as well as high-fat diets and obesity, which can put people at a higher risk,” she said. “And gay men are twice as likely [as heterosexual men] to smoke and also 17 times more likely to develop anal cancer, so there are a lot of added risks in the community.”
Ledden has been involved with the Relay for Life for more than a decade and said she was eager to help spearhead the LGBT-specific event when the opportunity arose.
“I was already involved in another Relay for Life and the American Cancer Society, and a staff partner with that one indicated to me that this was something they were interested in doing, so I let her know that I wanted to also help out however I could,” she said.
To participate in the relay, supporters are asked to form teams, with each participant aiming to raise at least $100, either from their own donations or from supporters. The relay kicks off with cancer survivors taking the first lap, followed by the teams.
One member of each team must be walking at all times throughout the 24 hours, and those who aren’t on the track can either relax at their campsites or take in the many activities at the site, such as games and live entertainment.
Once the sun goes down, Ledden said organizers plan to set up a Luminary Ceremony, in which candles are placed in small white bags that participants can decorate with the names of loved ones who died of cancer.
Ledden said the relays typically draw a very diverse crowd, with everyone from young children to seniors participating, and she’s hoping the LGBT event will garner participation from at least 500.
Jackie Gallagher, ACS community executive, said the donations will be integral to the agency’s efforts to stem the tide of cancer.
“The money will save lives by funding cutting-edge research, advocacy efforts and patient services to those diagnosed with cancer, as well as early-detection and prevention education,” she said.
Numerous cancer-prevention and education groups will be on hand to raise awareness about the disease’s impact on the LGBT community. Gallagher noted that while the fundraising component is vital to ACS, the relay also aims to enlighten participants.
“I’d encourage members of the GLBT community to participate to raise their own awareness about what’s available to them in their area regarding services, programs and education,” she said.
Interested participants can attend one of three planning meetings this month to get materials and more information about the event: April 19 at Rams Head Inn, 9 W. White Horse Pike in Galloway; April 20 at Millville Chiropractic Center, 1014 N. High St.; or April 28 at Club In or Out, 19 N. Egg Harbor Road in Hammonton. All meetings will run from 7-8:30 p.m.
For more information about the GLBT Relay for Life, visit www.relayforlife.org/glbtsouthjerseyNJ.
For more information about the American Cancer Society, visit www.cancer.org or call (800) 227-2345.
Jen Colletta can be reached at [email protected].