It’s the world’s largest and most impactful fundraising event to end cancer.
The 23rd annual Relay For Life of Wicomico County will be held on Saturday, Sept. 10 from 11 a.m.- 10 p.m. at Winterplace Park in Salisbury, Md.
According to the American Cancer Society, Relay For Life stems back to the 1980’s when Dr. Gordy Klatt walked and ran for 24 hours around a track in Tacoma, Washington, raising $27,000 to help the organization fight cancer.
Gordy Klatt walks around track in 1985 (Photo: Relay For Life)
Relay For Life has continued to grow over the years, ultimately raising nearly $5 billion to fight cancer and helping to save more than 500 lives a day.
Saturday’s event is an overnight community fundraising walk where organized teams get together, camp out around a track and take turns walking around the track throughout the day and night. Food, games and activities will go on throughout the event as well as a Survivors Lap, Luminaria Ceremony and Fight Back Ceremony.
Rob Wilkinson started participating in Relay For Life events five years ago when a family member was diagnosed with the disease. Although the circumstances weren’t ideal, he has found the positive through it all.
“It’s more about celebration, celebration of life, that’s what it’s all about really, and raising money for a good cause,” Wilkinson says.
The movement’s goal is to unite communities across the globe to celebrate people who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost and take action to finish the fight once and for all.
Kendall Guy, co-chair of Relay For Life of Wicomico County, says in the past 23 years, the community support has grown tremendously for the event.
“We have seen so many local people who have been burdened by the fight around cancer. What keeps people coming back to Relay For Life and the American Cancer Society is the value of all of the services they offer and in conjunction they are supporting the groundbreaking research to not only find a cure but to make cancer a more treatable disease.”
Guy says there are three reasons for joining in on the action— you are a survivor, a caregiver or someone who doesn’t want to hear the words you have cancer.
To learn more about the event, visit main.acsevents.org/site/TR/RelayForLife/RFLCY17SA?pg=entry&fr_id=70920.
American Cancer Society bags in memory of those who lost the fight to cancer (Photo: Debbie Marvel & Relay For Life of Wicomico County)
