Betty Williams is a lot of things to a lot of people.  She is a wife, mom, and grandma.  She and her husband, Leon own and operate B&W Auction.  Their son is the auctioneer, and several of their children and grandchildren work there as well. She runs the office, and does whatever else it takes to keep the business going strong.  When you walk in and see Betty, the first thing you’ll see is her smile, followed by a hearty welcome.
Anywhere you see Betty, you’ll see that same smile and be greeted in the same manner.  She is an unpretentious person.  She is a Godly woman who always trusts Him to carry her through whatever comes her way.
Another word that describes Betty is Survivor.  She has been a cancer survivor for 43 1/2 years.  In 1973, she was diagnosed with cancer of the uterus.  She had a partial hysterectomy.  Back then, that was major surgery.  She was hospitalized in Charleston for sixteen days.  She said that it seemed like it took her forever to get her strength back.  She was blessed not to have to go through any treatment.  They surgically removed all of the cancer.
In January of 2000 Betty was once again diagnosed with cancer.  This time it was breast cancer.  She went into surgery with the understanding that they would do whatever surgery was necessary.  She woke up from surgery to find that they had only had to do a lumpectomy.  She had this surgery at St. Eugene Hospital in Dillon.  Her surgery was followed up by both chemo and radiation.  Her treatments were in Florence.  She had chemotherapy every other week, a total of 24 treatments.  She had radiation five days a week for six months.
During Betty’s hospitalization for breast surgery, she realized something that she had never felt before.  Betty had been a Christian for many years, always depending on the Lord to carry her through any obstacle she faced.  As she was there with her pastor, she shared with him that for the first time ever, she could actually feel the prayers that others were raising for her.  In typical Betty style, she came through this journey still able to smile and share how she had been blessed.
Betty is a very familiar face at Relay For Life, and the Cancer Survivor Dinner.  She has spoken several times, sharing her journey with others.  She is always there with a smile and lots of hugs.  When asked what she enjoyed about attending the Relay For Life events she didn’t hesitate before she answered.  She said that to her it’s the comradery.  Comradery is the spirit of friendship and community in a group, like the comradery of soldiers at war who keep each other upbeat despite the difficulty of their circumstances.  Survivors have been through war as they battle cancer.  They share a bond with one another because of what they have all been through, and survived.  Betty said that Relay is a time that they can offer support to others who are still fighting.
What is Relay For Life; it is the world’s largest fundraising movement where people come together to remember those who have lost their battle to cancer, honor those who have survived, recognize the caregivers who have supported the journey and to find our voice in the fight back. The 2016 event will be held May 21st at the Dillon Motor Racetrack from 11am-11pm; with the goal of keeping at least one team member on the track at all times throughout the day, signifying that cancer never sleeps. Teams do most of their fundraising prior to the event, but some teams also hold creative fundraisers at their campsites throughout Relay.
In 2016, Relay For Life will take place in nearly 6,000 communities in the United States and 20 other countries around the globe raising funds to support the mission of the American Cancer Society to save lives by helping people stay well, by helping people get well, by finding cures, and fighting back. Relay For Life 2016 will be working to Paint Your World Purple as we fight back. We are inviting you to be a part of this movement so that we can work together to grow our world of survivors. If we had a dollar for every outburst directed at cancer, think of the lives we could save.
Please join us as we work to plan the 2016 Relay For Life of Dillon County. For more information about the upcoming Relay Meeting, please contact Elizabeth DeMeyere, Community Manager @ 704.806.0029 or Elizabeth.demeyere@cancer org
Register today for Relay For Life of Dillon County today and help our community finish the fight against cancer! www.relayforlife.org/dillonsc