Jul 10, 2009 3 min read

When most people think of things they did when they were 13, organizing a fundraiser for cancer research isn’t among them. Carol Hunter lost both of her grandfathers to cancer. Her grandfather Eugene Hunter passed away in 2000, although she didn’t know him very well and was too young to understand cancer. It was the loss of her other grandfather, Joseph Cole, in 2007 that inspired her to organize a Mini Relay for Life, to take place from 1 to 5 p. m. Saturday at Falcon Stadium in Connellsville. “I was at their house every day,” Hunter said. “I still cry every day.”

Hunter, with the help of her family and the American Cancer Society, has been planning the Mini Relay for Life for the past few months. Admission for the relay is $10 and includes refreshments, games and a raffle with prizes donated from local businesses, as well as a song and speeches at the end. One speech will be from Hunter.

“It’s not finished yet,” Hunter said. “I’d like to get on the topic of thanking everyone.”

Hunter said her grandfather who died in 2007 was born and raised in Dunbar. Cole’s nickname was “Tinker,” and he was always helping his neighbors, she said.

“Everywhere he went everyone knew and loved him,” said Hunter’s mother, Lisa Hunter. “Carol was my dad’s little helper for everything.”

In May 2007, Cole was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer and passed away that July, despite undergoing chemotherapy. It was then that Hunter realized what cancer was.

Hunter said she is already hoping to continue the relay annually.

“This is definitely an event they took on,” said Nancy Verderber, a volunteer with the American Cancer Society. She has been helping Hunter and her family organize Saturday’s relay.

Relay for Life is the American Cancer Society’s national signature event and has been held in Fayette County for 15 years.

“It supports our life-saving mission,” Verderber said.

Saturday’s relay is a shorter version of the regular Relay for Life. The money raised goes toward cancer education, patient services, advocacy, and research to hopefully one day find a cure and get rid of cancer completely. But the event isn’t just about raising money – it also aims to raise awareness.

“It’s a personal chance for people to fight back,” Verderber said.

The relays also serve to celebrate cancer survivors and remember those who have died, just as Hunter is remembering her grandfathers. Saturday’s relay is held in memory of both her grandfathers.