Letter to the Editor: Patch, Relay for Life Add to Orangetown Family

Orangetown has a reputation.  It is often referred to as a very large family compound that is always doing something together.

Among the thousand things are listed to explain the reputation are two relatively new items.

One is the Patch, which is doing the job electronically that it took many people to do by conversation before its birth. That is to tell everyone about what is going on in the family compound. 

Our beloved old friend of 40 years, the Our Town newspaper, which is mandatory reading for members of the family, it is wonderful but weekly.  It makes up for that with in-depth journalism. And unlike the Journal News which serves the entire County, the Patch is a homebody, and soooo good.

The other new ingredient is the American Cancer Society's Relay For Life in Orangetown.  It is only two years old, but growing fast and it does bring everyone together to remember and mourn, to marshal our collective muscle to fight the number two killer of us and to celebrate our many victories over this killer.

It's still a baby tradition in town and hasn't yet learned to speak to us as adults.  To begin with, the name Relay scares off people like me who run only when it's to the loo.

Second, when one visits the website, one thinks it's an "all-nighter," another scary thought to someone like me who remembers his all-nighters in college.

Third, it leads one to think that a participant needs to organize a team to do the Relay which is really a slow a walk around the wee track in the Central Avenue Field in Pearl River.

This year's event chairperson is one of the town's most popular persons, Joan Bourke, who is also the President of the Pearl River Little League. Her email address is jmbprll@aol.com.

The "Relay For Life," this the American Cancer Society's biggest fund raiser in the nation and it got there by allowing everyone to customize their role in it to suit themselves.

To learn more, visit the web site and then do your own thing but do something. www.relayforlife.org. 

By the way, if you have a a personal story about you or someone you love and cancer, submit it to the Patch.  

After all, both of you are part of the Family.

Editor's Note: Patch will be telling the stories of participants in the Orangetown Relay for Life. We want to hear yours. To share the story of how cancer touched your life or why you are taking part in the Relay for Life, email Pearl River Patch editor Ryan Buncher at ryan.buncher@patch.com. We want to share your words, with pictures whenever possible. These stories can provide hope and illustrate the importance of the fight against cancer