AEDC team supports ‘Relay for Life’

  • Published
  • By Dee Wolfe, AEDC Contributing writer
  • AEDC/PA
ARNOLD AIR FORCE BASE, TENN. --  Team "Remember," from AEDC, participated in the Coffee County Relay for Life which was held at the Coffee County Fairgrounds last month.

AEDC Team Remember raised more than $2,000 for cancer research, and overall the event, sponsored by the American Cancer society, raised more than $20,000.

Col. Raymond Toth, AEDC commander, attended the event and had this to say, "Relay for Life is such an inspiring event, particularly for me as cancer took three very important people in my life. It is always an honor to be able to celebrate the survivors of cancer and, just as importantly, their caregivers who work so hard to help cancer victims beat the disease.

"Relay for Life is an event that raises money to help end cancer and promotes how individuals can reduce their cancer risk. This program, with the support of thousands of volunteers around the country, along with the American Cancer Society, helps to save hundreds of lives a day; you can't help but be moved by their courage."

Team Remember raised money prior to the event by holding a bake sale and selling T-shirts, designed by AEDC member Staff Sgt. Thomas Starling. The bake sale raised several hundred dollars thanks to the generosity of AEDC employees.

The team raised money at the event hosting a bazaar table, offering chair massages and providing attendees the opportunity to wreck a car with sledgehammers. Chair massages were offered by Susie Alexander-Newman and Carrie Heard from Tullahoma On-Site Bodywork and Massage. Colt Sain and several of his students from the Georgia Career Institute in Murfreesboro also provided massages.

2nd Lt. Andrew Spurgeon and 2nd Lt. Carlin Lucente manned the wreck-a-car station and raised almost $100.

Due to everyone's dedication and assistance, fundraising efforts were a huge success, according to Shawn Wolfe, chief of AEDC Military Personnel.

"The survivor lap and caregiver lap are emotional times for the participants," Wolfe said. "As cancer survivors circled the track for the survivor lap and as survivors and their caregivers circled the track for the caregiver lap, their friends, family and teammates were there to cheer them on.

"Three AEDC employees, Education Training Specialist Dee Wolfe - the base liaison with the Relay for Life committee, Café 100 Manager Bryan Larson and Contract Specialist Karen Buckner participated in the survivor lap. We were so proud of all the people who participated in the Relay event, and we hope the base's participation in the event continues to grow each year. Even though we had a very small team, we still raised over $2,000. Thank you to everyone who helped make this event a success."

Wolfe has shared the team's participation coordination since 2009.

Team Remember included the following members: Shawn, Dee and daughter Amber Wolfe; and Lisa Stevens with the AEDC Services Division.