Relay For Life of Greater Nashua Announces New Honorary Chair

The American Cancer Society has selected Mayor Donnalee Lozeau to serve as honorary chair for this year’s Relay For Life of Greater Nashua.

Mayor Lozeau has been in public service since 1984, working at the state and local level.  From 1994 to 2008, she worked as the Director of Program and Community Development at Southern New Hampshire Services.  For her dedication to community service, the mayor was recognized with the Greater Nashua Chamber of Commerce’s Eminence Award for Volunteer of the Year in 2004 , and the United Way of Greater Nashua’s Max I. Silber Community Service Award in 2006.  The Mayor’s tireless energy and dedication to helping the citizens of Nashua lead her to be a strong voice for fighting back against cancer in the community.

The American Cancer Society Relay For Life is a life-changing event that gives everyone in communities across the globe a chance to celebrate the lives of people who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost, and fight back against the disease.

At Relay, teams of people camp out at a local school, park, or fairground and take turns walking or running around a track or path.  Each team is asked to have a representative on the track at all times during the event. Because cancer never sleeps, Relays are overnight events. Teams do most of their fundraising prior to the event, but some teams also hold creative fundraisers at their camp sites during Relay. Relay brings together friends, families, businesses, hospitals, schools, faith-based groups . . . people from all walks of life – all aimed at furthering the American Cancer Society’s efforts to save lives by helping people stay well, by helping people get well, by finding cures and by fighting back.

Relay For Life began in 1985, when Dr. Gordy Klatt, a colorectal surgeon, took the first step of his 24-hour walk around a track in Tacoma, Wash., and raised $27,000 to support the American Cancer Society. In 2012, more than 3.5 million people in 5,146 communities in the United States, along with additional communities in 21 other countries, gathered to take part in this global phenomenon and raise much-needed funds and awareness to save lives from cancer.

“Funds raised by our Relay For Life event are making an impact on so many lives, said Mayor Lozeau. “From making possible the vital American Cancer Society programs and services that support those in our community facing a diagnosis, to life-changing cancer research and medical discovery, to advocating for access to quality health care for everyone affected by cancer, the money raised through Relay For Life of Greater Nashua is helping further the vision of a world with less cancer and more birthdays.”

Others serving on the Relay For Life committee include: Albert Barry, Jerry Bento, Arlene Boisvert, Emmaline Boisvert, Karen DiFazio, Jessica Disla, Lisa Fulton, Donna Harris, Patricia Merchant, Sean Roberson, Katrina Sands, Jean Saytanides, Tina Vallier, Patricia Wells, Bethany Zaino, and Robert Zaino.

The Relay For Life of Greater Nashua takes place at Nashua High School South on June 14-15, 2013. To participate, call your American Cancer Society at 1-800-227-2345 or visit www.RelayForLife.org/NashuaNH.

As the nation’s largest non-governmental investor in cancer research, contributing about $3.6 billion, The American Cancer Society turns what they know about cancer into what they do. As a result, more than 11 million people in America who have had cancer and countless more who have avoided it will be celebrating birthdays this year.

To learn more about us or to get help, call us anytime, day or night, at 1-800-227-2345 or visit cancer.org.