Resignations

Resignations

rock ‘Relay5

By Jed Duvall

Special to the Rappahannock News

As the “Relay For Life" approaches - it is five weeks from this Saturday - the Rappahannock branch of the American Cancer Society has been rocked by resignations. At least six women - a quarter of the governing board of the Rappahannock branch - have quit.

Some say they are “burned out." Others object to what they see as a sharply unbalanced distribution of funds raised by the overnight walking program, the “Relay," which is conducted to raise money for cancer research.

The official name of the local unit is the Rappahannock County Leadership Council of the American Cancer Society.

In January of this year, members Delma Bagley, Bev Atkins and Bette Mahoney resigned. So did Evelyn Latham. Diana Corbin also has resigned. Another member, Georgia Gilpin later resigned.

Asked what effect the resignations will have on this year's “Relay" scheduled lor May 9 and 10 the executiv e director of the cancer society for the western half of Virginia, Daphne DePuy Turner said. “Nothing . . we are going to miss (those people) but we now have a group of volunteers committed to putting this on. “Fourteen or fifteen teams," she said, are already signed up for the Relay next month and she thinks the number mayreach 20 or more.

Carolyn Leake of Chester Gap is one of the mainstays in the fight against cancer in Rappahannock County. She is enthusiastic about sticking with the cancer society and working on the Relay. Asked about the resignations, she said “1 am not sure what the problems are....a lot of us are burned out." adding, “sometimes we have to just lay aside our differences and do what has to be done."

Those who left the Rappahannock group complained of “burnout" and suggested that the event be held every other year instead of each year, as is the case now. Delma Bagley said that “committee members were tired, burned out, affected, just like everyone else, by the economic difficulties" being experienced “We just," she added, “wanted to take a bye.”

Asked about the suggestion of skipping a year, executive director Turner said "cancer doesn't take a year off" She also acknowledged that the “burnout" that some women feel is not uncommon. There is, she said, "turnover on a regular basis" in local groups throughout Virginia. Turner did not address the question of just how widespread the problem is in Virginia,

The public relations officer for the society in Virginia. Dominic Casuceio, said in a telephone interview, “1 wouldn't call it a problem.” He added. "It is not unusual to the American Cancer Society" to have volunteers move on to other projects. It is

See RELAY. Page A8