For Highlands resident Katherine Scheser and her husband Mike, the American Cancer Society Relay For Life of Jefferson County was already on their calendar to attend this May. They had joined the Relay For Life team, Derby Parrotheads, and participated in various fund-raising events. And, while cancer had touched their family before, Katherine never imagined having a stronger purpose to fight back against the disease this year.
Right before Christmas, Katherine’s mom, Pam Peebles, was diagnosed with lung cancer, and merely weeks later, on January 23, 2010, she lost her battle.
“The Derby Parrotheads had two fundraisers in support of the American Cancer Society before the Relay For Life event,” says Katherine. “During our charity shrimp boil in November, I had no idea that cancer would be taking my mom all too soon.”
In May, Katherine, her husband and the rest of the Derby Parrotheads will join others throughout the community at the overnight event to raise awareness and funds for the fight against cancer. The Relay For Life of Jefferson County will begin at 6 p.m. on Friday, May 21, and last until noon the next day, Saturday, May 22, at the Prestonia Lot on Phillips Lane across from the Kentucky Fairgrounds.
This year’s event unites the Relay For Life events that have taken place in various communities across Jefferson County in years past, creating a city-wide Relay For Life.
“A number of our friends and family are looking forward to walking or making a donation,” says Katherine. “I think it will be a fun activity and especially meaningful, given its closeness to Mother’s Day. My mom was so caring and so generous with her love and time. I think she would be really happy that we were honoring her memory in this way.”
The American Cancer Society Relay For Life of Jefferson County gives community members throughout Louisville a chance to celebrate the lives of people who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost, and raise needed funds. This year, Relay For Life events will take place in nearly 5,100 communities in the United States and 20 other countries.
It’s not too late to join the cause and form a team for the Relay For Life. To learn more, call Development Representative Erin Dunagan at (502) 560-6024 or e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
. To sign up online, visit www.relayforlife.org/jeffersonky. For cancer information, call The American Cancer Society at 1-800-227-2345 or visit www.cancer.org.