Turning a hobby into a weapon against disease

After the mass exodus that takes place when the last bell rings at Carson High School, Senator Square becomes a vast empty space.

But Saturday, several teachers from the school are hoping to use that space as a battleground in the fight against cancer.

The teachers are part of a team for Relay for Life and are raising money for the American Cancer Society. They will be using Senator Square to host an all-day scrapbooking event as a fundraiser for the society.

"It's really popular and people need a large space to do it. So we thought we'd offer the school area and host the event," said Angila Golik, team member.

The event, being sponsored by the CHS team and the team from Greater Nevada Credit Union, runs from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and includes demonstrations by vendors, gifts as well as lunch and snacks. There will also be a silent auction and a raffle going throughout the day. The cost of the event is $25 and registrations are being accepted on the day of the event.

"It gives people a place with some space to sit and scrapbook, as well as get ideas from others while helping us raise money," Golik said.

The Carson High School staff team includes 21 teachers and two staff members and is one of 60 teams registered for the Carson Relay for Life event July 21-22 at Carson High School. There are also five teams comprised of students who are participating.

"Last year we had 18 teams and raised $40,000. This year we have 60 teams and have already raised $45,000 with two months left to go," Golik said.

In an effort to encourage participation, the theme for the Carson High Relay is focused on providing support nationwide, so each team is being given a state to represent. The staff team drew Michigan. Teams are encouraged to support their chosen state at the relay.

"We are looking for some tires to have at the relay and some other things to represent Michigan," said Erin Been, team member.

Golik said there are several other fundraisers planned in the coming weeks, including a staff cookbook available at the end of May, a Dunk the Dean contest on June 1 at Carson High and a raffle July 13.

"The cookbook includes 277 staff recipes, we are selling it for $10 later this month," Golik said.

• Contact reporter Jarid Shipley at jshipley@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1217.

By the numbers

45

Percent chance a man will develop some form of cancer in his lifetime

414

Number of people per 100,000 who developed some form of cancer in Nevada from 1999-2003

11,030

Approximate number of new cancer cases diagnosed in Nevada in 2007

218,890

Number of new cases of prostate cancer in the U.S. in 2007. Prostate cancer comprised the highest type of cancer diagnosed in men and accounted for 29 percent of all new cases in men. Breast cancer remained the most prevalent type in women at 26 percent.

1.7 billion

Estimated number of tobacco smokers worldwide by 2025. Smoking is considered one of the leading causes of cancer.

$7.18

Estimated cost to society for every pack of cigarettes sold in 1999 - $3.45 for medical expenses and $3.73 in lost productivity.

- Source: American Cancer Society