By 11 a.m. last Saturday, the 2010 Brentwood Relay For Life was well under way. The infield at Liberty High School’s Ohmstede Stadium was fast filling up with tents, participants were circling the track, and the food area was doing a brisk business.

In keeping with fact that the American Cancer Society had been designated the official sponsor of birthdays, Brentwood’s organizers had “lit” six giant, purple candles and led the crowd in a spirited rendition of “Happy Birthday.” The song was especially significant to Bob Munion, who was celebrating his 69th birthday that day, but when Frank Rundall offered his salutations from the stage, Bob was nowhere to be seen; he was relaxing in his car, taking a break from the gusty winds and already-soaring temperature on the track.

Munion can be forgiven for grabbing a bit of a respite. Not only was it his birthday; it was a birthday that, just a year earlier, he didn’t expect to see.

It was May 18, 2009 when Munion got the call. He’d been to his doctor to see about the abdominal pain, loss of appetite and fatigue that had been troubling him, and the call brought the dreadful news that millions of others have gotten before him: “Bob, you have cancer.”

With Trudy, his wife of 46 years, and his son, L.R., standing by, Munion hung up the phone, and “went running back and forth in the house, screaming,” Trudy said. “I didn’t know what it was, but it was serious.”

Munion’s diagnosis was prostate cancer, and he would soon learn that his Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) level was 9 (1 is the lowest, 10 the highest and worst).

“The thoughts that were going through my head were that I was dead,” he said. His father-in-law had died of cancer, wasting away from the disease and the chemo and radiation used to treat it.

“I didn’t want to go through that,” said Bob. “There were times when I just wanted to say, ‘I’m done.’” Trudy worried endlessly about him, to the point she counted Bob’s pain pills at night to make sure he hadn’t intentionally taken too many.

With Trudy’s help, though, Bob slowly began to understand that he wasn’t alone in his struggle. “I came to the realization that I didn’t have cancer, we had cancer,” Bob said. “The whole family had cancer.”

If that was true, then his entire church had it, too. A member of Creekside Church in Brentwood, Bob said a visit from Pastor Scott Kirk on the eve of his surgery let him know there was support even from those he couldn’t see.

“We prayed together,” he said. “We felt another presence, and we knew God was with us. All of a sudden I felt at ease.”

On July 9, 2009, Bob underwent surgery to remove his prostate. “I was the most surprised person when I woke up,” he said. Although he had yet to undergo 35 grueling days of radiation to eliminate and residual cancer, his PSA is now 0.1, virtually undetectable, and he’s able to look back at it with some humor.

“I have tattoos now,” he joked, referring to the aiming marks put on his body by the radiologist. “I can’t show them in public, but I can hang out in biker bars if I want.”

Bob is still regaining his strength, hence his brief hiatus in his car last weekend. But the “electrifying” feeling shared by both him and Trudy as he took his place for the Survivor’s Lap at last weekend’s Relay – and the camaraderie of the dozens of other survivors walking with him – drove home the need for those with cancer to share their burden, and the realization that there are many people who want to help.

“I don’t think anyone can get through this by yourself, or even with just your family,” he said. “You need the support of other people, too, even if it’s someone you don’t know.”

Bob said celebrating a virtually cancer-free birthday at the birthday-themed Relay For Life helped solidify his determination to get more involved in the event next year, and Trudy plans to also.

“We’re not just dabbling our toes in; we’re going to jump in with both feet,” she said.

Bob’s already active in his church and other charitable causes, but what he’s gone through makes him feel as though “a curtain has been pulled aside, and I’ve been born again,” he said. He hopes to pass along his message of celebration, fighting back, and survival on the same track next year.

“I know there’s a value to life that I didn’t respect before,” he said. “I have a better understanding of the healing process of those who have had cancer. It goes beyond the physical healing to the understanding that God has given you life, and you have to go out and do something with it.”

The 2010 Brentwood Relay For Life raised $188,000, short of the goal but, given the sad state of the economy, still “wonderful,” said Chairwoman Joy Benson. “This town comes through every time.” By way of expressing their satisfaction with the results, Chairwoman Joy Benson , Mayor Bob Taylor and Fire Chief Hugh Henderson followed through on their promises to shave their heads in celebration.