Raising awareness and raising money for the fight against cancer was the two-fold purpose of The American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life of Liberty, held at Liberty High School’s football stadium the evening of Friday, May 15, 2026. The event, including teams from Liberty Elementary School, Liberty Middle School, and Liberty High School, as well as community members, was organized by the Liberty High School Interact Club, advised by Zach Arms.

Zoe Bergmann, a junior (rising senior) at Liberty High School and a member of the Interact Club, welcomed everyone to the event and invited cancer survivors to gather under the purple tent near the track. “Survivors are anyone who has ever been diagnosed with cancer, whether you have been battling this disease for 10 days or have been cancer free for 10 years,” she said. “We celebrate all of you today. Participants, please fan out around the track.

“This is an amazing gathering,” Bergmann said. “Just look around you. Family, friends, co-workers, community leaders, children, grandparents, and neighbors are all here for the same reason – to lead the fight for a world without cancer. During the next several hours, we will bring the fight of the community to beat our biggest rival – cancer. We are so proud to be standing here with all of you in Red Devil Stadium tonight, doing what other Relay participants in more than 5,000 communities across our country and around the globe do. By walking this track this evening, you are joining forces with millions of people worldwide who want to save lives, who want to lead the fight. While each of us has a unique reason for being here, we all have something very much in common. We want to make a difference in the fight against cancer. And we are doing that. You are doing that. As a community, every step taken and every dollar raised helps the American Cancer Society to fight cancer on all fronts.

“Now, we would like to highlight some of the bravest members of our community. Join me in welcoming our cancer survivors. Before our survivor and caregiver laps, we would like to highlight the husband and wife team, Deena and Jimmy McCollum, during our survivor walk this evening. Deena and Jimmy are both cancer survivors. Deena was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2020, and Jimmy was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, which is an incurable cancer of the plasma of the blood, in 2016. Deena was declared cancer free in November of 2020 after a completion of chemotherapy and surgery. Jimmy successfully completed a stem cell transplant in 2016, and he had a complete response and has been in remission now for 10 years. He continues to take chemotherapy to stay in remission. They both had amazing support and love through prayers from their family and friends, and many church families had them on their prayer list. Both give all of the glory to God in the success of their treatments. Unfortunately, in March of this year, Deena was diagnosed with the return of her breast cancer, which was detected after her routine mammogram checkup.  She is currently in chemotherapy for treatment and will follow surgery and radiation. But, once again, she has a wonderful support system of family, friends, and church family and expects to beat it again this time after a successful treatment plan of chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation. Jimmy and Deena are both very thankful for the American Cancer Society and the research they are able to provide, which allows patients to take advantage of the most up-to-date treatment plans available, allows them to be considered cancer free or having maintained a treatment plan for life. The American Cancer Society also offers many other services that are very beneficial to patients and their families. Coping with cancer can be very hard on families, and any assistance is so very greatly appreciated. Every dollar really does count.

“At this time, if all cancer survivors and caregivers will now head on to the track by the purple tent, and all other participants will circle around the track, we will now do our survivor and caregiver laps. Survivors will walk the first lap, and caregivers will join them on the second lap. All other participants will cheer them on both laps. The survivor lap will begin once the music starts playing.”

“If you will,” Arms asked everyone, “please circle around the track, so we can cheer on our survivors and caregivers. Thank you.”

As the theme song from the film Rocky began to play, cancer survivors walked the first lap, and then Bergmann said, “Let’s give it up one more time for our survivors. Now is the time to walk, play, enjoy the fellowship, and help up raise money and awareness, so that we can reach our goal of $3,000 toward cancer research.” She noted that concessions were available for sale and that Relay for Life luminary bags were also available for sale and could be decorated. “Without further adieu, let’s relay. Thank you.”