Relay for Life is an important part in the fight to cure cancer. The community comes together to create teams who work to raise money for the American Cancer Society.

Many people are affected by cancer whether it is themselves, friends or family members who have struggled in the fight to overcome the disease.  This fact motivates them to join Relay for Life teams and do their part to contribute to the cause.

The two longest standing, most successful Relay for Life teams in Vicksburg and Warren County have very similar stories and strategies for raising money.

DiamondJacks Casino and Hotel and Merit Health River Region have both been involved in Relay for Life for at least the past six years, both have committees or teams of about 15 members and both have all kinds of internal fundraisers within their companies like selling stickers that allow employees to wear blue jeans or pink clothing on Fridays.

Mary Jane Karnes is the captain of the Merit Health River Region team and a cancer survivor. She has been involved with Relay for Life for the past five years and has had more than one family member diagnosed with cancer like many of her colleagues.

“Everybody that’s on the team has either had somebody in their family that has been impacted by cancer or they have friends that have been impacted by cancer or themselves,” Karnes said. “The majority of the people that are on it [the team] do have some form of connection with the diagnosis.”

DiamondJacks had a 15-year employee who lost her battle with breast cancer, and the company continues to be a part of Relay for Life to honor her and the other people in their lives who have also been touched by cancer. Another one of their team members survived cancer during childhood.

“You don’t have to go far to know someone that this disease has impacted,” said Felicia Gavin, executive vice president and general manager of DiamondJacks.

Cancer affects young and old and they are hopeful the money they contribute can go toward finding an end to the disease and support those who are suffering.

“If the $500 that we raise can assist in finding a cure for this disease that impacts not only adults but impacts children, little bitty children, then that’s what I want to do. I became a nurse to help people, to take care of people, and that’s what I feel like Relay does,” Karnes said.

The commitment to finding a cure for cancer keeps both teams coming back every year, which has motivated them and made them successful.

“With all the advances that we have in technology, with the proper resources, there certainly can be a cure found for cancer,” Gavin said.

Last year’s River Region team raised more money than the year before, and they hope to continue the trend. They set a goal of reaching between $500 and $1,000.

“Everybody is committed and everybody wants to find that cure. This is their way to be involved in the cure,” Karnes said.

Each department at River Region collects items for a themed basket, like bed and breakfast, and sells $1 tickets for a drawing. Yeti coolers, iPads, Kindles and other giveaway tickets are sold to help the company raise money for the charity.  Last year the team also contributed to March of Dimes.

Employees from different departments at DiamondJacks sign up to work on a committee with a chair and two co-chairs who come up with all the events and activities they put on to raise money and get people involved.

Instead of dong a giant fundraiser, they do multiple smaller activities, like a team member breakfast and possible bake sale or turkey raffle, to raise money over time.

She said their success could come from the fact their committee is driven by volunteers who get to work on company time and their own time too, to come up with their own ideas for fundraisers.

“Our committee here has been very creative with their fundraising ideas, and they come up with some really innovative ways to get everybody involved in such a worthy cause,” Gavin said.

Dining with the Survivors is one of this year’s ideas where they will invite cancer survivors to dinner at the casino. Last year, team members from each of Vicksburg’s four casinos had a three-game basketball tournament to help raise money from ticket sales, and they are considering bringing the event back this year.

DiamondJacks raised just over $4,000 last year and this year they are on track to top that number with over $1,000 already raised in early October with the company’s corporate contribution still to come.

“It’s a company sponsored event, but all the ideas come from the team, all the activities are executed by them,” Gavin said.

Both teams plan to be a part of Relay for Life for years to come.

Relay for Life kicked off their campaign just two weeks ago and will be raising money through April. In addition to the many teams involved in Relay for Life, plenty of other businesses in Vicksburg donate directly to the American Cancer Society.