The fourth annual Relay for Life Survivor Breakfast was held at Fellowship United Methodist Church in Hamlet on Saturday. The event is hosted each year by the Susan Sharpe Cancer Support Group. Survivors of any form of cancer and a caregiver were invited to attend and celebrate with other survivors from Richmond County. Survivors received their Relay shirts and had a breakfast provided by local merchants.

The Susan Sharpe Cancer Support Group was founded in 2000 by Susan Sharpe who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1999. Sharpe lost the battle with cancer in 2005 and the members renamed the Support Group in her memory.

The Support Group meets the fourth Thursday in each month at 6 p.m. at First Health Richmond and is available to any woman diagnosed with any type of cancer, to caregivers or to anyone touched by this dreaded disease in need of support. Ann Wheeler, co-chair of the Susan Sharpe Cancer Support Group for 10 years, can be reached at 910-582-3658 for more information.

The Survivor Breakfast is the kick-off for survivors for the 2010 Richmond County Relay for Life event which will be held at Raider Stadium on May 14 beginning at 6 p.m. Linda Bayless, co-chair of the Richmond County Relay for Life event, reports that $121,000 was raised last year. Those affiliated with Relay teams will be admitted free. Those not with teams pay $5 at the gate and receive $5 in Relay Bucks to spend during the event.

All monies raised through Relay go to American Cancer Society to fund education and research, along with many programs to help cancer survivors battle this dreaded disease.

Any survivor not already registered is invited to come by the Survivor Tent and register to join other survivors as they celebrate “More Birthdays” at the 2010 Relay for Life event.