Hundreds of people who battled cancer and won gathered at a Hempfield Township banquet hall to share in a celebration of life Sunday.

"It's been two and a half years in remission," said a smiling Art Montgomery, a New Castle resident who made the drive to take part in the local celebration of National Cancer Survivors Day. Montgomery was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma. After a long medical battle, he said, he was able to beat the disease.

Organized by the Life Care Cancer Center, the celebration featured musical entertainment, lunch and a talk given by Mary McBride, who encouraged people to use humor to get through difficult times.

Ms. McBride, who writes columns on family life and marriage and has written jokes and punch lines for comedians, is a cancer survivor. She talked to the people who'd gathered at Hempfield Station One about how humor can help people pull through.

"One of my friends, a young woman, was undergoing treatment for breast cancer," she said. "Her young boy saw her for the first time with no hair, and said, 'Mom, you don't really have eyes in the back of your head!' "

Twelve years ago, Ms. McBride's doctor told her she had about one month to live.

"I turned 79," she said. "I never expected to live to see 79. I told this to one of my girlfriends, and she said, 'Neither did I! I waited until the last minute to get your card.' "

Still, she said, humor and making light of her situation helped her pull through.

"Whenever someone makes me laugh," she said, "I feel they've given me a great gift."

Ms. McBride has written comic material for Joan Rivers and Phyllis Diller. She's also written humorous books, including "Don't call me collect on Mother's Day" and "Grandma knows best, but no one ever listens!" She also writes gags for the comic strips Family Circle and Grin and Bear It.

Also featured in the luncheon were the lives of the people who'd survived cancer. Each survivor in attendance was called aloud and lit a candle in honor of his or her life.

Gayle Miller, a manager for the Life Care Cancer Center, said the survivors are invited each year to celebrate. As soon as the plates were cleared from this year's event, she said, planning for next year's celebration began.