Published: June 11, 2009 01:28 pm      

Relayer encourages fun and awareness in Clark County

Greg Alexander says team shifted focus this year

When it comes to the Clark County Relay for Life, Hwy. 31 team captain Greg Alexander has a motto: “It’s all about having fun".

“On team Hwy. 31, we have a good time,” Alexander said. “Whether it is raising money or whatever we are doing, that is one of our keys. We have to have a good time doing it. Otherwise it turns into another job.”

Alexander has been involved in the Relay for Life for nine years. He started out participating on his work team, Vectren Energy. Two years ago, Alexander, a trustee for Union Township, joined up with the Silver Creek Township Trustee to start the team Hwy. 31.

“We wanted to do something more, so we could help the people in our community, plus have fun doing it,” he said.

The team set a goal to raise $21,000 for relay. Alexander’s Union Township has already raised its half of the goal — $10,500. Members raised money by organizing fundraisers such as road blocks and sending letters to family and friends. Team member Cheryl Bridges said Alexander’s passion has lead to the team’s success.

“He’s great,” Bridges said. “He is so full of energy, he can do anything. He is always thinking of ways we can raise money.

“I had not been on a team before and wouldn’t want to be on another.”

Alexander makes having fun a priority for his team, but he does not lose focus on what Relay for Life is all about. Not only has Alexander encouraged his team to focus on raising money, but he also encourages cancer awareness.

“Hwy. 31, we kind of changed our tune a little bit this year,” Alexander said. “Instead of raising a lot of money, we kind of worked more on cancer awareness to let people know what it’s really about.

“A lot of people think the American Cancer Society is all about research, but they have classes for people that smoke, they are involved in all different kinds of stuff like legislation and cancer treatments. The money is spread [around].”

Though Alexander had been working to help fight cancer for many years, it was when his father was diagnosed two years ago that he realized just how important it is to raise money for the American Cancer Society.

“It woke me up thinking that $1 that someone gives will help find a cure,” Alexander said. “It might not be a dollar you raised this year, it might be a dollar you found out in the parking lot ... one day a dollar is going to make a difference.”