John Fortman, who has been in charge of logistics for the American Cancer Society's SCV Relay For Life for the past three years, has been named chairman for this year's Relay, scheduled for May 30-31 at Central Park. He is joined by co-chairs Jennifer Minard and Brian Afdahl, two local Relay veterans who will take on various functions for this year's event and move up into the chair position in subsequent years.

"This is part of our plan to ensure succession of leadership for the event," Fortman explained. "Our plan is that Jennifer will be chair next year and Brian the year after that. Other leaders will fill the co-chair positions as they are vacated."

Fortman has been involved with Relay since 2005, when he attended his first Relay Rally at Valencia Acura and joined a friend's walking team. "I remember how blown away I was by the ceremonies, especially luminaria," he said of his first event.

The following year he joined the Relay planning committee as logistics chair, moving up to co-chair in charge of logistics in 2008. Asked what kept him volunteering for Relay year after year, he responded: "Without a doubt, it is the people. The teams and the Relay committees are full of passionate, hardworking, dependable people who are also a lot of fun."

Fortman also has a personal reason for joining the fight against cancer, since his father died at the age of 50 from lung cancer. "It was amazing to me at the time how close this disease could come," he explained. "We all have many family and friends who have suffered from cancer. Some have won, but too many have lost the battle."

Jennifer Minard has been involved with Relay For Life since 2001, starting out as a team member and then serving as co-captain of the Bosom Buddies team. She gradually moved up to serve as a volunteer, then a committee member for Relay. She has worked with luminaria, served as assistant to the team captain coordinator and chaired registration, accounting and data entry.

She learned of Relay through her aunt, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2000. "During one of her support group meetings, she heard about Relay and asked if I wanted to join her," Minard explained. "As she volunteered for Relay over the years, I followed her along and became her right hand woman, lending my help in any area that needed it."

Although her aunt will celebrate eight years as a cancer survivor in December, she and Jennifer continue to support cancer research and services through Relay. "In the beginning I used to say I Relay For Life for my aunt," she said. "While this is still true today, I now say I Relay For Life for anyone that cancer has touched."

Minard sees Relay For Life as more than a fundraiser or an overnight campout. "It's an opportunity for the community to get involved in the fight against cancer," she continued, "whether that's through sponsorships, donations, volunteering or just letting a survivor or a loved one who has lost someone to cancer know that they are not alone. There are individuals who truly care and want to fight back against this disease."

"I am proud to say I am one of those individuals," she concluded.
Minard's co-chair is Brian Afdahl, who first became involved in Relay as a member of the Valencia Acura team in 2005. He returned to Relay in 2008 in charge of equipment-arranging for tents, tables and chairs for the many Relay vendors. He took over as site logistics chair when the previous chair moved out of state.

"I got involved through Cheri Fleming (of Valencia Acura) and just wanted to help out," Afdahl explained. He also touted Relay as a way to meet new people and have a good time. Asked why he wanted to be involved with Relay on a personal level, Afdahl noted that he has had several members of his family who have suffered from various forms of the disease, from skin to lung cancer. He lost an uncle to cancer in 2006.

Committee meetings already have begun, and a strong group of subcommittee chairs is already on board to help plan this year's event. Fortman noted that the local Relay, which broke the $500,000 mark for the first time last year, is the No. 1 Relay For Life event in Los Angeles County.

Relay For Life 2009 will be held for the fourth year in Central Park, and is scheduled for 24 hours starting on Saturday morning, May 30. The location provides plenty of space for teams, which camp out for the 24-hour event, and the late May date makes it convenient for families and school groups to participate before the start of summer vacation season.

The chairs have a committee of more than 40 local residents, all volunteering to make next year's Relay a success. The group has set a goal of 120 walking teams and $600,000 in proceeds.

A number of sub-committee chairs have signed on to date, including both returning committee members and many volunteers new to the event. The committee is still seeking chairs and volunteers for several subcommittees, and local residents who would like to help with event planning are invited to call 298-0886, option 3, or check the local Relay Web site at www.SCVRelay.org.

The committee meets at 6:30 p.m. in the offices of HMNM Health Foundation at the western edge of the Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital complex, usually on the second Tuesday evening of each month, except for a break in December. The meetings are open to anyone interested in helping organize this year's Relay, which hopes to raise a record $600,000 for the American Cancer Society's fight against all forms of cancer.

Fortman issued an invitation to any local residents who have a friend or family member who is suffering from cancer: "If you are a survivor or are close to one who is, or if you were close to one who lost their fight with cancer, please join us in our event and help make this one the best ever," he said. "Last year our event raised over $560,000 which is the most money raised in a single event fundraiser in Santa Clarita. Over 90 percent of that money goes to the American Cancer Society to use for research and advocacy."

"Cancer does not participate in any recession and neither will Relay For Life," he affirmed.

Relay for Life is a 24-hour walking event which benefits the American Cancer Society, the nationwide, community-based voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem. ACS works toward that goal by preventing cancer, saving lives from cancer, and diminishing suffering from cancer by supporting research, education, advocacy and service.

Cancer information is available 24 hours a day at www.cancer.org or by calling (800) ACS-2345. Santa Clarita Valley Relay For Life information is available by calling 298-0886, option 3, or contacting staff member Danielle Anziano at Danielle.Anziano@cancer.org. Volunteers interested in joining the local Relay committee can contact the three co-chairs at chairs@scvrelay.org.