Families and friends use their hearts and feet to fight cancer
On May 18th at 3:00pm, participants will start walking literally around the clock for a full 24 hours in a battle to fightback against cancer. This year marks the 17th annual American Cancer Society Relay For Life of St. Johns, Michigan.
While it is called the St Johns Relay for Life, it would probably be more accurately described as the Clinton County Relay for Life as there are participants and sponsors from all corners of the county.
Last year the relay raised over $130,000 to help support the American Cancer Society. Over the past 17 years, the Relay for Life of St Johns and greater Clinton County has raised well over 1.5 million dollars for this cause. That is truly something this community can be very proud of.
If you are not familiar with the Relay For Life. The Relays are overnight events where individuals and teams camp out at an athletic track, park or other gathering areas, with the goal of keeping at least one team member on the track or pathway at all times throughout the event.
Teams do most of their fundraising prior to the event, but some teams also hold creative fundraisers at their campsites during Relay. The Relay for Life is a fun filled event that brings together friends, families, businesses, hospitals, schools, faith-based groups and people from all walks of life to help the American Cancer Society’s efforts to save lives by helping people stay well, by helping them get well, by finding cures and by fighting back.
This year the St Johns Relay for Life will be moving to a new location at the Clinton County Fairgrounds located at 800 West Sickles Street in St Johns.
The Relay will start on Friday May 18th at 3:00pm and will go a full 24 hours and end at 3:00pm on Saturday May 19th. The event will feature cancer survivor and caregiver celebrations. We will also be having ceremonies to honor loved ones and friends who have lost their battle with cancer.
There will also be plenty of on track activities to raise money for fight against cancer. Some other highlight of event includes entertainment, games, food as well as a silent auction. Also another important goal of the event is help raise awareness about cancer as well as highlight some of the programs and services that the American Cancer Society provides.
“Relay is a unique opportunity for our community to come together to celebrate people who have battled cancer, remember those we’ve lost, and fight back against the disease,” said Relay Chairperson Alan Bunn . “Many of the participants are cancer survivors, which serves as a reminder that St John’s is not immune to this disease and that by participating in Relay, we are joining with the American Cancer Society’s efforts to create a world with less cancer and more birthdays,” Alan added.
Funds raised at Relay For Life of St Johns and greater Clinton County enable the American Cancer Society to impact the lives of those touched by cancer within the community through programs like Road to Recovery, which provides free transportation to and from treatment for cancer patients; Reach to Recovery, a program that pairs breast cancer patients with trained survivors to offer support and advice; clinical trials matching service; and access to live-saving information at any hour day or night.
Relay For Life’s Luminaria Ceremony takes place after sundown, honoring the community’s 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 for $10 by visiting event website at the following address http://www.relayforlife.org/stjohnsmi.
Also a part of Relay For Life of St Johns is the Fight Back Ceremony that will inspire Relay participants to commit to fightback against cancer and will challenge them to take a personal pledges of action such as quitting smoking, eating healthy or exercising regularly to fight back against the disease.
For more information on the St Johns Relay for Life visit our official event website http://www.relayforlife.org/stjohnsmi. You can also call 517-980-1569 or sending email to sjrelay4life@gmail.com. For more information about the Relay for Life or to locate a Relay For Life in another, please call 1-800-227-2345 or visit RelayForLife.org.