American Cancer Society

The American Cancer Society is the nationwide community-based voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by preventing cancer, saving lives, and diminishing suffering from cancer, through research, education, advocacy, and service.

Relay For Life is the American Cancer Society's nationwide signature fundraiser. It is a 24 hour community campout celebrating survivors, and instilling hope for all. Teams of 7-15 people raise money prior to the event and then come to the event to celebrate the money raised as well as the survivors that are in the local community. The Relay begins with the Celebrate ceremony and Survivor lap (where survivors start off the relay by taking one lap while everyone else cheers them on). From then on, the teams continue to walk/run around the track for 24-hours in relay fashion, being sure to have one person on the track at all times. At dusk, we have the Remember ceremony where we light luminaria bags around the track and remember/honor those we have lost to cancer. The light from the luminaria bags light the path through the night as walkers continue to walk. On Sunday morning, we close the relay with the Fight Back ceremony where we pledge to doing something throughout the year to fight back against cancer in our local community.