The annual American Cancer Society Relay for Life surpassed its goal this year and raised $278,000 for cancer research.

The young and the old supported the event, the sick and the well. Whether it was the last person who drove by and sought out relay Chairman Blake West just as the overnight event was drawing to a close to give him a $100 check or team members who worked hard on plans and fund-raisers for months, all contributed.

West Elementary School second-grader Mary Jones designed the winning T-shirt. Her inspiration was her little brother, Tommy, who is now free of cancer following two years of chemotherapy. Tommy was diagnosed with T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma at age 4.

The colorful T-shirt features doctors with Tommy and a little girl — all smiling; and the slogan reads “West Elementary, Relay for Life, Fighting for Little People.”

“It was just a great relay,” said West. “The participation by the teams was incredible.” He said a lot more teams entered the relay this year, and more people participated in the T-shirt contest than ever before.

“Each team made their own T-shirt with a slogan,” said West.

Axsys Technologies took first place for their dramatic campsite. The theme was “Survivor Cullman Island of Hope” and featured a large volcano that would erupt with a boom while sounds of thunder and lightning emitted at times. “Medicine Man” Joe Marlowe was “hilarious,” according to manufacturing supervisor and co-worker Rex Walker.

“He would sprinkle evil powder” at the campsite entrance, said Walker. “Sometimes he would fall down when the volcano erupted.” He scared children to death, said Walker.

As things quieted down and the night wore on, Team Development Chair Helen Allen, said relay members were throwing frisbee, playing ball or walking.

“There doing their own thing now,” said Allen.

Survivors that were highlighted during the week include Deborah Bates, her mother Ruby Morrow, Holly Pond High School teacher Patricia Lambert and The Cullman Times Advertising Director Kathy McLeroy.

Deborah Bates

Bates teaches special education students at Cullman Middle School, and the kids were thrilled when they saw their teacher’s picture featured on Thursday’s paper, according to Bates.

“It thrilled those children to death,” she said.

Bates had a tough year after losing her best friend, Laura Daniel, to ovarian cancer in August of last year.

“When I say my best friend, she was older than me, but she was like my second mom,” said Bates. “So she became my best friend even though she was a little older.”

When Bates was being treated for for cervical cancer in 1997, Daniel would always accompany her. “She was always there,” said Bates, because she had fought cancer three different times.

Bates said she keeps a picture of Daniel by her bedside. “She was just a very very Godly person,” said Bates.

Daniel always gave Bates a scripture verse from Philippians that says “God can do all things that strengthen thee.” When someone gave Bates a birthday present this year with that verse, it was more than a coincidence to Bates.

When Bates had another recent cancer scare, she didn’t share her concerns with many people. She had found a nodule on her left side and two under her arm. But after she was prepped for surgery, her doctor couldn’t find anything.

Bates is certain that God answered her prayers. Today Bates is glad she shared her story because she hopes it will help others struggling with cancer.

She didn’t always get regular checkups but hopes those learning her story will.

Ruby Morrow

Morrow is Bates’ mother; she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2001. After taking cancer medicine for five years, Morrow proclaims “I’m a survivor.”

She was told early on not to compare herself to others when undergoing chemotherapy because people take different amounts of chemo and radiation.

Morrow’s treatment was delayed a year because the doctor she was referred to would not perform a biopsy. Another doctor told Morrow and her husband James to insist on the procedure.

She said people know their bodies and they know when something is wrong.

Patricia Lambert

Lambert’s no stranger to cancer; she’s battled it three times.

When her husband called her during the school day to tell her that a recent mammogram wasn't good this time, she thought to herself “Hmn, wasn’t good this time.” She wondered what that meant but was to busy with students to give it anymore thought.

After school let out, Lambert locked her classroom door, put her head on her desk and “sobbed and sobbed.”

She told survivors at last week’s breakfast, “You know. You've been there. You know exactly what I went through.”

Lambert had surgery over the Christmas holiday but had to have her radiation treatments after school let out. She would arrive back at the school the next morning drained and tired.

Some days she told the kids, “we’ll just talk a little bit and discuss things,” said Lambert.

Lambert attributes her recovery to her loving husband, Tommy, and her two daughters, Crystal, a sophomore at Holly Pond High School, and Jennifer, a first-grade teacher in Florida.

She said thanks to Relay for Life that raises money for cancer research, medicine and technology, she was able to recover; and she’s glad to be able to give something back by participating in Relay for Life.

Kathy McLeroy

When a handwritten note from the 12-year-old daughter of a cancer survivor crossed the desk of American Cancer Society volunteer and cancer survivor Kathy McLeroy, her heart was touched.

McLeroy was in charge of selling luminaries for the Relay for Life event. She has been involved with the fund-raiser for more than 10 years.

Luminaries are white paper bags filled with sand and a candle.They can be purchased for $5 and the name of a loved one is placed on the luminary.

Hannah Cornelius wrote to the newspaper to purchase a luminary for her father, Gary. She wrote, “Thank you so much for this program. It has helped me honor my dad who is now in remission. I would just like to express my gratitude,” said Cornelius.

“For a 12-year-old to sit down and personally write a thank you to me, the American Cancer Society, it touched me, said McLeroy. “It came to us because we’re opening the envelopes. She put it in the mail to us, and there’s a little handwritten note from her saying thank you. My daddy is in remission because of all you all do.”