NORTHAMPTON — In March of 2001, Tom McCusker found out that his sister-in-law, Donna, was diagnosed with colorectal cancer.
She had learned about Relay for Life in Easthampton and recruited her entire family to go. When McCusker arrived, he felt that it was a “party atmosphere,” and a “celebration.” After this first experience at Relay for Life, he was invited to a planning meeting for the following year and was soon declared the chair of the entertainment committee.
McCusker, of Florence, has been a part of the entertainment committee ever since and has planned this Saturday’s Relay for Life of Hampshire County at Smith Vocational and Agricultural High School. From 9 a.m. to noon there will be many community activities while relay participants walk around and around the track.
Events include a cardboard car race, a craft fair, an Elvis tribute, a dance party with local DJ Nick, and the annual luminaria ceremony. Additional to the typical celebrations, there will be a survivor and caregiver “Lupper,” or lunch and dinner combined, which will celebrate the work done over the past 25 years by the Hampshire County Relay for Life branch.
The annual Relay For Life started in Hampshire County in 1997 and has raised a combined total of over $5 million for the American Cancer Society.
Throughout his leadership journey with Relay for Life, McCusker has encountered several influential survivors, including teenager Shelley Labrie, whom he recalled as a fighter and a leader. Though Shelley lost her battle against cancer, McCusker said people like her kept him going, so that his daughter would never have to hear “those words ‘you have cancer.’”
McCusker said that for him, the most meaningful aspect of the Relay for Life events is the part where survivors and caregivers are celebrated. He said he hopes to continue to coordinate this event until there is a cure for cancer, and he no longer needs to.