Relay for life

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Every time Kay Leeson considers snapping her nearly two-decade-long connection with the American Cancer Society's Relay For Life, she remembers an old friend.

Denise Beatty joined Leeson as co-captain of Liberty House's team at the Relay For Life back in 1993. Leeson had organized the store's first team the year before for Maui's and Hawaii's inaugural relay.

Beatty and Leeson, who were friends before, grew closer as they organized nine consecutive relay appearances together, raising thousands of dollars for the American Cancer Society.

Things changed in 2001.

Team Liberty House morphed into Team Macy's when the former company changed hands in June.

And the co-captains of Team Liberty House/Team Macy's would get to see firsthand the disease they were fighting with their relay work.

Beatty was diagnosed with pancreatic and liver cancer in August. She died in December.

Leeson, who's been with both companies since 1986, has continued to lead Team Macy's to the state's longest, continuous streak of team participation in the relay - 18 years this year. She's thought about quitting or taking a hiatus, but then she remembers Beatty.

"Denise would kick my butt if I quit," Leeson said.

The thought of doing another relay for Beatty is enough to keep Leeson going.

This year is no different. Although Leeson and Team Macy's won't spend the entire night due to other commitments, 14 store walkers will join the Central Maui Relay For Life at the War Memorial Stadium on Saturday evening.

The event that begins at 6 p.m. and ends at 6 a.m. will feature nightlong entertainment, including Eric Gilliom, Halau Kauluokala, Maui Taiko Drummers, and lion and Filipino dancers. There will be food for sale as well.

More than 3.5 million people participate in Relay for Life events nationwide annually. The money raised goes to research and American Cancer Society programs to help patients and their families.

In addition to raising money, the relay provides an opportunity to celebrate those who have fought and continue to fight cancer, to remember loved ones who have died of cancer, and to show support for finding treatments and cures for the disease.

Maui County's relay has evolved into regional events over the years. The South Maui relay will be held at the Kenolio Recreational Center on July 11, the West Maui relay at Wainee Park on July 25 and the Molokai relay at Kaunakakai Park on Aug. 7.

The youth relay was held at the War Memorial Stadium in February.

When the first relay was organized as the "Midnight Marathon" in 1992, Liberty House's store manager tapped Lesson to lead the store team. That year, Team Liberty House raised $2,000, a record team total at the time.

Seeing "how much fun it was," Beatty offered to help Leeson the next year, accepting the role of co-captain. She was an effective fundraiser, collecting about $7,000 for one relay, Leeson recalled. Team Liberty House/Team Macy's donations have averaged between $3,000 and $5,000.

This year, given the poor economy, the fundraising is slow, said Leeson, who is Macy's receiving team manager, handling all of the merchandise that goes through the store. She raises money by soliciting employees and selling plate lunches. Some of the proceeds come from a "little store" within the store where she sells drinks and frozen food to workers with the profits going to Macy's charitable activities, including the relay.

Beatty was "all about raising money for the fight against cancer," recalled Leeson, while she herself was more about having fun. Because of their long commitment, they were sent to the Relay For Life Summit in Portland, Ore., in that fateful year of 2001.

When Leeson lost her friend that year to the disease, "At first I was angry because we all do this, and you know," said Leeson, pointing out the irony, "yeah, it was stupid to think that. You can't blame the cancer society."

Several times during the phone interview, Leeson apologized for choking up when talking about her compatriot.

"She was like a best friend, and we got closer because of relay," said Leeson. "She was like aunty aloha. She was very happy."

Beatty already had agreed to be co-captain again when she was struck by cancer.

"She knew we were going to co-chair the relay the following year," said Leeson. "She was really looking forward to the walk with survivors. . . . She was really positive about that."

When the relay came around the next year, Beatty's husband, Paul, asked relay officials if he and his family could join the survivors walk and carry a picture of her. The walk, which leads off the relay, is supposed to be only for cancer survivors, with family and friends trailing.

Relay officials made an exception, and Paul Beatty took the steps for his wife.

Denise Beatty continues to inspire Leeson.

"We've been through so much with relay," she said. "We've been wanting to quit lots of times . . . "

Leeson has definite plans to keep organizing Team Macy's for the relay through 2011. "That's the big one," the 20th relay, she said.

After that, Leeson isn't sure what will happen. But whatever the decision, Denise Beatty will likely understand.

For more Relay for Life information or to donate, call the American Cancer Society office on Maui at 244-5554.

* Lee Imada can be reached at leeimada@mauinews.com.