More than 90 people attended a dinner honoring cancer survivors hosted Saturday by Friendship Baptist Church.  The Relay for Life of North St. Clair County coordinated the event.

Bayleigh Phillips, one of many cancer survivors present, was the featured speaker.  Miss Phillips, 12, is a brain tumor survivor. Rosanne Coleman, survivor development coordinator, invited local survivors to participate in the Relay for Life, scheduled for 6 p.m. April 30 at Springville High School.

“Come even if you do not want to walk the survivors’ lap at the beginning of the relay,” she said.   “There will be plenty of activities and fellowship.”

Relay for Life t-shirts will be available for sale at the Springville Wal-Mart on April 10 and 17.  Cancer survivors will be provided with shirts to wear at the Relay.

A total of 15 area businesses contributed to last week’s survivors’ dinner.  Primary providers were The Daily Bread and Charlie’s BBQ, both of Odenville.  Entertainment was provided by Springville band Sallgood, and Taylor Bartlett, Ashville. 

“I cannot tell you how great it felt to do this for our community,” said Beth Schulz, spokesman for Relay for Life of North St. Clair County.  “Before my mom, who was a chemotherapy nurse and then a chemo patient, was diagnosed with cancer we would hear of those diagnosed in our community and think, ‘That is terrible.  I hope they will be okay.’  Once your family has been touched by cancer — and most all families will be at some time or another — you realize that these survivors and families need much more.

“First, they need an opportunity to speak with others fighting the same battle for support. They also need to know that we as a society and their families are not giving up on them and that they cannot give up.  We fight back by raising awareness and raising money for the American Cancer Society so that they can fund research for a cure. They also provide services and education for families and patients.”