Diane LaPoint and her friends from the B.A. Ritter Senior Citizen Center are ready to “rock” and crochet for a cure for cancer.

The group will participate in the Relay For Life of South-Mid Jefferson County set for April 25-26 at Nederland’s Bulldog Stadium. Those who can’t walk the track will take part by rocking in their rocking chairs, LaPoint, senior center director, said.

Nancy Bernard, who is a member of the Nederland senior center, explained that cancer touches the lives of many people.

“This means a lot to me. My mother, brother and sister all died of cancer,” Bernard said. “I’m just honored she (LaPoint) asked me to be part of this. I can’t walk the track but I can rock.”

LaPoint also knows the pain of losing someone to cancer — her husband, Jim, succumbed to cancer in 2010 after 47 years of marriage.

LaPoint is also working on a special project — crocheting a blanket featuring the “colors of cancer.” Pink has been recognized as the color associated with breast cancer, and there is a list of colors representing other cancers such as gray for brain cancer, orange for kidney cancer and white for lung cancer.

“No two cancers are the same,” LaPoint said.

With this in mind, she started crocheting a lap-size blanket using all the colors of cancer and different stitches. The colorful blanket will be raffled off during the Relay For Life.

The center, at 914 Boston Ave., is taking donations on the blanket and a winner’s name will be drawn at 11:59 p.m. April 25.

The seniors will continue to create the unique blankets even after the event. LaPoint has had a custom order for specific colors of cancer, she said.

The seniors are using donated thread to create the blankets and have also created hats for cancer patients at the Cancer Center of Southeast Texas and other areas.

LaPoint said the center is available for community service projects such as crocheting.

The director of the center realizes her fundraising efforts may not net thousands of dollars toward a cure for cancer but is still proud of the “hundreds of dollars” raised, she said.

For more information about the center, call 727-5230.

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