THE
SIGNATURE SIGONELLA, SICILY
VOL. 29 NO. 20
MAY
25, 2012
cnic.navy.mil/sigonella
NAS Sigonella unites in support of Relay For Life
To help raise funds in support of Relay For Life, Maj. Jeff Lamport, executive officer (pictured above) and Lt. Col. Pauk Wojtowicz, commanding officer of Global Hawk used their heads, literally. Thinking outside the box, they volunteered to have their heads shaved, raising a whopping $1,500, the most money raised by two people. (Photo by Shakyra Canchaney Banos)
BY MR2 GARY SPENCE NAS Sigonella Public Affairs
Members of Naval Air Station (NAS) Sigonella united for the second annual Relay For Life (RFL) event, May 19-20. This year's event, however, was the first 24-hour event ever held on base, and the first 24-hour event held in Sicily. The concept of the 24-hour run/walk event is that “cancer never sleeps.” Holding this event throughout the night shows support for those who have to battle cancer on a daily basis, 24hours a day, often being unable to sleep or rest due to the pain associated with the disease and the treatment process. Through the generous contributions donated to RFL, the American Cancer Society is able to help people fight back against cancer, creating a world with more cancer survivors. The first RFL was held in 2011 and organized by Engineman Chief Adam Miller as a six-hour
event. He hoped to generate enough support to host a future 24-hour event like those held in cities all over the United States. Sigonellans answered the call. More than 162 people signed up to participate. Sixteen teams formed and began to find creative ways to raise money to support the cause. Unfortunately, permanent change of station orders prevented Miller from seeing his vision come into fruition. But in true relay fashion, he passed the baton to Rachel Kelly. She then enlisted the help of Master-at-Arms Chief Gabriel Harley of NCIS to make the 24-hour relay a reality. "I am amazed by the outpouring of community support, from the RFL team members who helped organize the event to those that volunteered and participated, everyone has been dedicated to this great cause," said Electronics
Technician 3rd Class Jacob Balesi, publicity chairman for the RFL Leadership Committee. Opening the relay, courageous survivors circled the track together to celebrate the victories they’ve achieved over cancer. They were then joined by caregivers and together they completed the second lap. On the third lap, the teams joined in. After the fourth lap, which included all event participants, RFL officially began. Lt. Rick McCallister, a nurse with U.S. Naval Continued on page 8
QUOTE
More than 162 people participated in the 24-hour Relay For Life event. (U.S. Navy photo by MR2 Gary Spence)
OF THE WEEK
"No matter what happens ... the important thing is that the days that you have had, you will have lived." – Gilda Radner
Armed Forces Kids Run
Asian-Pacific Islanders Heritage Month
Project Armor
Kids get out and active.
NASSIG celebrates.
Sigonella teens and tweens help SAWS animals.
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