Murrieta to Rally Against Cancer During Relay for Life

Cancer survivors, caregivers and supporters will gather for Relay for Life of Murrieta at Town Square Park this weekend.

From 9 a.m. Saturday, June 2 to 9 a.m. Sunday, June 3 teams will continuously hit the track that circles around the park. During the relay, team members will take turns walking or jogging while others enjoy entertainment, rest in tents set up nearby and fellowship.

“We do a 24-hour relay because cancer never sleeps,” said Jana Johnson, Relay for Life of Murrieta event chairperson. “For 24 hours we give of ourselves to endure any trials and tribulations in honor of those who have suffered from cancer.”

Johnson told Patch she has participated in Murrieta’s Relay for Life—part of a signature fund-raising effort for American Cancer Society—for nine years.

Cancer has affected many members of her family, she said. Two people close to her, her father-in-law and aunt, both passed from the disease.

“In every family member it has been a different type of cancer,” she said. “My father-in-law had lung cancer, and my aunt had a multitude of cancers. It began with skin cancer and it just grew to affect all her organs.”

A total of 46 teams have signed on to participate, each committing to raise money through sponsorships and donations. Some of the teams include Best Buy Murrieta, Lisa J. Mails Elementary School Student Council, Walgreens and Target.

Giterdun for Cancer, Lifesavers and Strollin’ for a Cure are some of the other teams signed up.

A major supporter of the local relay is the Murrieta Firefighters Association. The city’s firefighters will not have a team, per se, but two Murrieta firefighters plan to don purple T-shirts to participate in the Survivors’ Walk at 9:30 a.m. Saturday.

Murrieta firefighter/paramedic Dean Hale, who battled lung cancer last year, and Murrieta fire engineer/paramedic Sean DeGrave, who was diagnosed with testicular cancer when he was 21, will be walking.

Now 31, DeGrave looks back on that time in his life.

“The type I had was very fast-acting. As soon as I was diagnosed, I was in surgery two days later,” DeGrave said. “It was definitely not something you expect at that age; it put my life on hold for about a year.”

It also made him re-evaluate his goals in life. He was attending college to become a physician’s assistant or physician, but had always carried the dream of becoming a firefighter like his uncle.

“First, I wanted to become a husband, second a father, and third a firefighter,” said DeGrave, who married his high school sweetheart, Liselle.

Together the couple have two children, Ava, 5 and Carson, 3, who came along after DeGrave passed his five-year cancer-free mark.

What DeGrave said what he admires about the American Cancer Society is that it promotes research, but also celebrates caregivers of cancer victims.

“It is just as difficult on the caregiver as it is on the person going through it. The person experiencing it realizes they can not go through it alone,” said DeGrave who has participated in Relay for Life of Murrieta for six years.

In addition to walking Saturday, the Murrieta Firefighters Association will continue its tradition of cooking and serving breakfast to race participants Sunday. This will be just prior to heading off to Association’s 8th Annual Phil Armentrout Memorial Trap Shoot.

Phil Armentrout was a former Murrieta fire chief who passed away in 2005 after a 12-year battle with cancer. The Association will donate the proceeds of the event to Relay for Life of Murrieta, DeGrave said.

In all, a crowd of at least 800 to 900 is expected for the 24-hour relay, according to Johnson. She added that members of the public are welcome to come join the festivities.

For more information about the schedule of events, such as a Luminaria ceremony at 9 p.m. Saturday, visit the Relay for Life of Murrieta website.

In addition to organizing the event, Johnson will be participating as a member of the Oak Springs Church team.

“This gives me hope that I’m able to do something—a small part,” Johnson said. “We’ll find a cure someday if we all keep pressing on.”