02/06/2025
***UCFD challenges community to support cancer research***
By Shawn Jarrard
North Georgia News
Editor
The Union County Fire Department made a sizeable contribution toward life-saving cancer research last week by presenting a $10,000 check to Union County Relay For Life, the local fundraising affiliate of the American Cancer Society.
Relay Chair Wendy Holden and fellow volunteers Sue Upchurch and Cathy George accepted the donation and expressed their immense gratitude to firefighters on Thursday, Jan. 30.
Fire Chief David Dyer said the Fire Department has an internal charity team composed primarily of career staff that raises money each year for worthwhile local causes, with past giving including efforts like the Shop With A Cop for Christmas Program and even Relay For Life.
This year, firefighters wanted to re-focus their fundraising on Relay For Life because a family member of one of their own had been battling cancer, experiencing tough treatments, stress and other hardships associated with the terrible disease.
On top of the close-to-home reasons for supporting Relay For Life in 2025, Dyer said that firefighters are twice as likely as the average person to be diagnosed with cancer, so helping to fund cancer research is a natural fit for the Fire Department.
“Cancer risk for firefighters come from exposure to burning materials, chemicals, exhaust fumes, hazardous materials responses,” Chief Dyer said. “Just a regular structure fire releases hazardous gases.
“We wear (self-contained breathing apparatus), but a lot of times, we can still get exposed to some of those things, so that’s what’s contributed to a lot of the firefighter cancer. Plus, there’s stress, lack of sleep and strange hours that is probably a contributing factor to some of that.”
After handing over the check, Chief Dyer issued a communitywide challenge to others to meet or beat the Fire Department donation, which the Relay For Life volunteers emphatically embraced.
“Private donations like this have helped us to keep the fight going against cancer,” Holden said, noting that 2024 through last week had resulted in $25,000-plus being raised.
For decades, Relay For Life volunteers have hosted the group’s namesake outdoor event as their primary fundraiser, to include a friendly competition between teams organized by individuals, businesses, churches, the hospital, first responder agencies and others to raise the most money.
In addition to the fundraising element, the annual Relay For Life brings the community together amid the hustle and bustle of daily life, uniting neighbors in having a good time for a meaningful cause with heartfelt traditions like luminaria dedications.
But volunteers were unable to marshal the necessary manpower to host Relay For Life last year, and it’s looking the same for this year.
Sadly, three of the group’s key members have died in the last three years – Vee Laffoon in 2022 and Barbara Richardson and Allyson McGraw last year – so the already small group of volunteers is even smaller now, with just five active members.
Even so, Union County Relay For Life volunteers remain committed to raising funds by partnering with caring groups like the Fire Department and others while hosting smaller initiatives until the annual relay can return, hopefully in 2026.
Residents can support Relay For Life right now by participating in the local Daffodil Days 2025 Flower of Hope Project: “Surprise a friend, family member, or ‘adopt’ a group with a beautiful bouquet of 10 fresh-cut daffodils for a $5 donation to the American Cancer Society.”
To order daffodils, people may contact Wendy Holden at [email protected] or 706-781-4166. The deadline to participate is Feb. 28. Flowers will be ready for pick-up on Monday, March 17, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall of First United Methodist Church.
Of course, Relay For Life is looking for more volunteers, so folks seeking a way to give back to their community and forward the vision of “ending cancer as we know it, for everyone,” may contact Holden as well.
“Cancer affects every family in the whole wide world, and that’s why it’s important to keep the mindset there so the funds can help fight it,” Holden said, providing an excellent reason for residents to join and support the volunteer effort.
Photo Caption: (L-R) Fire Chief David Dyer presenting a donation check to Relay For Life volunteers Wendy Holden, Sue Upchurch and Cathy George, with Fire Capt. Justin Blanchard and Battalion Chief Richard Jones. Photo by Shawn Jarrard
The North Georgia News is the hometown paper for Blairsville, Suches and the surrounding areas of North Georgia.
