To Life!

HEALTH & FITNESS

Never Too Youn

Eating,
Shopping

The next generation of Relay for Life
participants gets motivated.

Shelli Liebman Dorfman

Senior Writer

T

he annual Relay for Life of West
Bloomfield is always a fam-
ily event, with supporters of all
ages rallying together in support of the
American Cancer Society's (ACS) research,
education, advocacy and patient services.
But among the younger crowd at this
year's event June 9-10 at West Bloomfield
High School will be an insurgence of
youth, bringing fundraising activities and
participation to Relay teams.
"It's so important for kids to be
involved," said Beth Kellman of West
Bloomfield, a member of Jay's Team, which
also includes her daughter Emma Jaye, 9.
The team is named for Kellman's father
Jay Robinson, who died of cancer six
weeks before Emma was born.
"Emma has been at every single one
of the West Bloomfield Relays:' Kellman
said. "Last year when we got to the Relay,
Emma saw the banner on our tent with
her grandfather's photo on it and started
crying. She has a very personal sense of
what she is missing and will always miss
as a result of cancer. (The Relay) gives her
something positive to do with those feel-
ings. It's great that kids are doing some-
thing to give back."
For the fourth year, Emma will be sell-
ing beaded "hope" bracelets, necklaces and
charms at the event. Along with family
and friends, Emma has made hundreds of
the jeweled items at beading parties she
hosts. The $5 from each sale will be donat-
ed to the ACS on behalf of Jay's Team, with
last year's creations bringing in an $800
donation.

In addition to her craftwork, last month
Emma led her third-grade class at Hillel
Day School of Metropolitan Detroit in a
"penny war," with classmates collecting
$358 for Relay. For Emma, being part of
Relay for Life is important.
"It just feels really great to help raise
money for anything that has to do with
helping people with cancer:' she said.
"Because my grandpa died from cancer
before I was even born and it's just ter-
rible, so I don't want that happening to
other people."
Having kids involved in Relay "is also an
opportunity for them to be creative about
fundraising and figure out how to carry
out their ideas and find out what works
and what doesn't:' Kellman saidAfter all,
one day they're going to be the ones on the
committees. And, it's a wonderful opportu-
nity for parents and kids to work together
on something. I have the best memories of
doing that with my parents when we were
involved in planning the Maccabi Games.
One day I took Emma out and we just sat
in a coffeehouse brainstorming ideas. It
was great for both of us:'
She added, "The ACS is the second-larg-
est funding source for cancer research
[behind the U.S. government], so I really
feel the more people that get involved in
Relay the more money we raise and the
fewer people die of cancer."

Family Involvement
Being touched by cancer brought brothers,
Aric, Jonathan and Michael Klar to Relay
both as participants and fundraisers. "My
sons have been involved with me and Relay
for over five years;' said Nori Klar of West
Bloomfield, a cancer survivor and captain
of Nori's Network Relay team.
They also participate for their
aunt, a cancer survivor, and in
memory of their uncle who died
of cancer three summers ago at
age 51.
The Klar boys don't just attend
Relay; they get others involved.
When Aric, now 18, was 12, he
spoke on stage about why he
comes to Relay and how impor-
tant it is to him.
Turning 16 next week,
Jonathan, whose June 13 birth-
Miriam Saperstein of Huntington Woods, Emma
day usually falls during the week
Kellman of West Bloomfield and Yael Plotnick of
of Relay, invites friends to come
Farmington Hills, all 9, work on beaded bracelets.
to the event "to celebrate life and

32 June 7 • 2007

Young Relay participants
fundraise with events
and sales.

Shell Liebman Dorfman
Senior Writer

Michael Klar, 12, in his team T-shirt

give donations instead of gifts:' said his
mom.
This year, Michael, 12, created his own
team, SJ Gangsters, in support of his 12-
year-old friend, Spencer, who lives in West
Bloomfield.
"Relay for Life is very important to me:'
Michael wrote on his Relay Web page.
"My mom had cancer twice and now I
found out that my best friend has a brain
tumor. I talk to him every day and I will
always be there for him. So me and his
family and friends decided to start a team
just for Spencer."
At the event, the team will sell T-shirts
with a Superman logo and Spencer's ini-
tials on them. A representative from Rad-
a-Tattoo of Clinton Township will donate
time (4-6 p.m. Saturday) and supplies
and will be at the event to apply a variety
of temporary airbrush tattoos includ-
ing a specially designed logo for Spencer,
with proceeds going to Relay.
Encouraging others to come out to the
annual event, Nori Klar said, "Being at
Relay and walking with all the survivors
and supporting each other is a feeling that
no one would know unless they attend.
For families and friends of those we lost, it
helps so much in the grieving and healing
process no matter how many years have
gone by."

The American Cancer Society Relay
for Life of West Bloomfield will take
place 10 a.m. Saturday, June 9, to 10
a.m., Sunday, June 10, at the West
Bloomfield High School athletic
field, 4925 Orchard Lake Road, West
Bloomfield.
To make a donation online, go to
the Web site: www.acsevents.org/
relay/mi/westbloomfield. Indicate if
donations are being made on behalf
of a specific team or participant.
Donations also may be made by
calling (248) 557-5353 or sending a
check to American Cancer Society,
18505 W.12 Mile Road, Southfield,
MI 48076.

L

ook for these area young-
sters, preteens and teen-
agers involved in planning
activities and organizing fundraisers
and Relay teams:

•Rachel Hollander,12, of West
Bloomfield, whose participation is
actually her bat mitzvah project.
Rachel was inspired to create Team
Kids Conquering Cancer because of
her family friend, Haley Nathan, 8, of
West Bloomfield, who was diagnosed
with cancer in 2005. Rachel said,
the team, co-captained by Carly
Rothenberg,12, of West Bloomfield,
"is all about kids helping kids".
The group will sell friendship
bracelets for a $2 donation. For
each bracelet sold, an identical
bracelet with a photo of the donor
and a note will be sent to cancer
patients at University of Michigan
Hospital in Ann Arbor, where Haley
was treated. Among Rachel's more
than 30 team members — most of
whom are kids — is Haley, who will
participate in the Relay with her
entire Brownie Troop 1582.

•The West Bloomfield High School
Relay for Life Student Team, headed
by team captain, Taylor Kamen,17,
of West Bloomfield, organized a
fundraising carnival and an event
at California Pizza Kitchen in
Farmington Hills, with 20 percent of
the evening's purchases donated to
the team.

•The Frankel Jewish Academy team,
led by Barrie Schwartz, 17, Tess
Garoom, 18, and Jessica Curhan, 15,
sold paper shoes that read, "Help
fight cancer one step at a time"
for $1 and hung them in the school.
They also held a dress-down day
where students who contributed $3
could dress casually.
The team will hold a 10:30 p.m.
Saturday, June 9, Havdalah service
at the Relay.

