FAIRFIELD – Jefferson County Relay for Life will end cancer on Saturday, August 24.
That’s the motto of the group’s Relay for Life, which is scheduled to take place that day from 6 to 10 p.m. at the Fairfield Golf & Country Club. The event is free for cancer survivors and their caregivers, and costs $20 per person for everyone else. Children under 5 eat free.
The event will include a dinner buffet, live music, a silent auction and a candlelight parade at 9 p.m. Attendees are asked to wear their best “country boots and bling.”
Jefferson County Relay for Life will also raise money through the sale of Relay for Life t-shirts, 20 oz tumblers and quilt raffle tickets. This event is organized by Lori Schaefer-Weaton. Schaefer-Weaton and her husband, Nate Weaton, are both cancer survivors, and that motivated them to sponsor the Survivor Meal and all accompanying festivities. As a result, 100 percent of the event’s proceeds will benefit the American Cancer Society.
Schaefer-Weaton has not been involved in organizing a Relay for Life before and is now taking the lead. She said her own and her husband’s battle with cancer prompted her to become more involved with Relay for Life.
“This cause has become very personal and close to our hearts,” Schaefer-Weaton said. “We wanted to do something locally to give back. Our own Jefferson County Health Center has a chemotherapy unit and Nate was treated there.”
Schaefer-Weaton was the first to be diagnosed with cancer and has been cancer-free for five years. Nate was diagnosed two years after her. It wasn’t easy for the family, as she had to juggle so many things, including her career and five children.
“Nate was a football coach, which was very demanding for him from an energy perspective,” Schaefer-Weaton said.
Schaefer-Weaton said now is an important time to prioritize cancer research, as the number of cancer diagnoses has increased in recent years because people have postponed their regular check-ups during the pandemic.
“People avoided doctors’ offices like the plague,” she said, “and mammograms became less popular.”
Schaefer-Weaton said the money raised at Relay for Life will benefit cancer research and help cancer patients with housing and other expenses they incur during treatment. She said all funds will stay locally.
“During treatment, you have to pay a lot of costs out of pocket, such as staying in a hotel,” she said. “We need to continue to fund research, and regardless of the type of cancer, we need to make progress so that we don’t just treat the symptoms.”
So far, 100 people have confirmed their attendance at the event, and Schaefer-Weaton hopes that number will grow to 200. She hopes the silent auction alone will raise between $5,000 and $10,000.
“We think this will be a lot of fun,” said Schaefer-Weaton. “Cancer separates us all. We’re going to have a great time for a great cause.”
Lori Schaefer-Weaton and her husband Nate are sponsoring the Jefferson County Relay for Life on Saturday, August 24. The couple are both cancer survivors and felt compelled to be more involved in the Relay for Life this year. They are pictured here with their children, from left: Jackson, Cami, Max (Nate and Lori), Sam and Abby. (Photo courtesy of Lori Schaefer-Weaton)
Call Andy Hallman at 641-575-0135 or email him at [email protected]
