Karen Waddington is a passionate ACS volunteer who serves as a member of the Event Leadership Team for the Relay For Life of Thurston County, one of the largest Relay events in the country. Karen’s relationship with ACS began in 2019 when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Five years later, she is now cancer free and passionately fighting back to offer more hope and inspiration for cancer patients and their families. She is not only a survivor, but a steadfast caregiver to her brothers, one of whom recently passed and another who is still fighting valiantly. Karen is honored to be our Hope Gala paddle raise speaker and for our theme, “Light the Path to Hope”, as she credits ACS for being there for her and her family every step of the way throughout their journey with cancer.