Walkers take the track in the battle against cancer when the annual American Cancer Society Relay For Life of Polk County gets underway with teams of residents gathering at Polk County High School on Friday, April 30. The event will begin at 5 p.m. and end with a midnight closing ceremony.
Relay For Life events are held with the goal of keeping at least one team member on the track at all times throughout the evening. Teams do most of their fundraising prior to the event, but teams also hold creative fundraisers at their camp sites during Relay For Life. Relay brings together friends, families, businesses, hospitals, schools, faith-based groupspeople from all walks of life all aimed at furthering the American Cancer Societys efforts to save lives by helping people stay well, by helping them get well, by finding cures and by fighting back.
The event begins at 5 p.m. and opening ceremonies will be conducted at 6 p.m. with cancer survivors leading the first lap of the Relay in the Survivors Lap. All cancer survivors are invited to participate in this lap.
“Relay is a unique opportunity for our community to come together to celebrate people who have battled cancer, remember those weve lost, and fight back against the disease,” said Debbie Buchanan, American Cancer Society community manager. “Many of the participants are cancer survivors, which serves as a reminder that Polk County is not immune to this disease and that by participating in Relay, residents are joining with the American Cancer Societys efforts to create a world with less cancer and more birthdays,” Buchanan added.
Funds raised at Relay For Life of Polk County are enabling the American Cancer Society to impact the lives of those touched by cancer within the community. American Cancer Society programs and services are offered to any cancer survivor or their family members.
Relay For Lifes Luminaria Ceremony takes place after sundown, honoring the communitys cancer survivors and remembering those lost to the disease. Participants will circle a track that is surrounded with glowing luminaria that bear the name of someone who has battled cancer. Luminaria may be purchased until 8 p.m. the night of the event.
As a result of funds raised at Relay For Life events, more than 11 million people in America who have had cancer and countless more who have avoided it will be celebrating birthdays this year. To learn more or to get help, call the American Cancer Society anytime, day or night, at 1-800-227-2345 or visit cancer.org.
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