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Cherokee Casino employees help make Relay For Life a success20 May 2013FORT SMITH, Ark. (PRESS RELEASE) -- Employee volunteers from Cherokee Casino - Roland and Cherokee Casino - Sallisaw arrived at Ramsey Junior High early last Friday and stayed late into the night to help organize Relay For Life North Sebastian County-Fort Smith. Cherokee Casino volunteers were there to set up tables and booths for participants and be available for any questions. Tonya Pascale, general manager at Cherokee Casino Roland and Cherokee Casino Sallisaw spoke during the Luminaria Ceremony, a candlelit ceremony taking place near the end of the event. At the ceremony, candles are lit inside personalized bags to pay tribute to those who were lost or have been affected by cancer. "I've had people in my life that have been affected by cancer, so I wanted to share my experiences," Pascale said. "It was pretty sobering to see how many bags had loved ones' names listed on them. Even more astonishing is how many people cancer impacts in our community. We were happy to be there to help." Pascale also spoke on the many free programs such as mammograms, health screenings and smoking cessation programs that Cherokee Nation Businesses offers to employees, hoping to detect and even prevent cancer where it begins. "I am so appreciative of Cherokee Casino for supporting this year's Relay For Life. With their help we were able to raise more than $80,000 and still counting for the American Cancer Society," said Kim Vann, 2013 Relay For Life of North Sebastian County-Ft. Smith event chair. "Because of their sponsorship, we were able to present the Fight Back ceremony, which symbolizes the emotional commitment each of us can make in the fight against cancer. The volunteers were so helpful. I cannot thank them enough." In more than 5,200 communities and 20 countries, Relay For Life events comprise the signature fundraiser for the American Cancer Society. Relay For Life is a global movement to honor cancer survivors, remember loved ones lost, and fight back against a disease that has already taken too much. Every year, the Relay For Life movement raises more than $400 million. The American Cancer Society puts these donations to work, investing in groundbreaking research in every type of cancer and providing free information and services to cancer patients and their caregivers. |