Relay For Life Saline County

What is Relay For Life?

While it sounds like an athletic event, the American Cancer Society Relay For Life is a community gathering that gives everyone an opportunity to fight cancer and help save lives. At Relay For Life events, teams camp out at a local track and take turns walking or running around the track or path. All team members are asked to raise a minimum of $100 each, and because cancer never sleeps, each team is asked to have a representative on the track at all times during the event.

The night of the event, participants celebrate survivors, remember loved ones lost, and learn more about how to fight back against cancer. Relay events raise much-needed funds while increasing awareness of cancer prevention, early detection, treatment, and American Cancer Society patient support services.

Celebrate Survivors And Caregivers

The Relay celebration can truly be symbolized by the courage and spirit of the survivors and caregivers in Saline County. The Survivors Lap, which opens every Relay For Life event, ensures that survivors and caregivers — and everyone who is there to cheer them on — experience the healing and celebration and are charged to take action to help finish the fight against cancer.

Remember during the Luminaria Ceremony

When the sun goes down, luminaria bags light the track in remembrance of those we’ve lost to cancer and in honor of those who are still fighting or those who have fought cancer and won. For many, the Luminaria Ceremony symbolizes hope and perseverance, and for others it is a time for healing.

Take action with the Fight Back Ceremony

This ceremony symbolizes the emotional commitment each participant can make in the fight against cancer and inspires them to take action. The action taken represents what we are willing to do for our¬selves, for our loved ones and for our community to fight cancer year-round and commit to saving more lives.

Why Participate?

The American Cancer Society is present in every community, every day, helping to fight cancer on all fronts. Participating in Relay For Life helps the American Cancer Society further its mission by:

Helping you stay well — We know that nearly half of all cancer deaths can be prevented through healthier lifestyle choices. The American Cancer Society is here to help you take steps to prevent cancer or find it at its earliest, most treatable stage.

Helping you get well — Having cancer is hard; finding help shouldn’t be. The American Cancer Society is in your corner around the clock to guide you through every step of your cancer experience. The donations you raise help fund programs that provide free resources and support for people facing the disease.

The Society assists cancer patients by providing transportation to and from treatments through the Road to Recovery program, and by providing free lodging at 31 American Cancer Society Hope Lodge facilities nationwide.

Finding cures — Your American Cancer Society has a long history of saving lives by helping to find cancer’s causes and cures. We support the best ideas of the brightest cancer researchers who, with each discovery, are getting us closer to finishing the fight against the disease. The Society has had a hand in nearly every major cancer break-through of the last century, including confirming the link between cigarette smoking and lung cancer, establishing the link between obesity and cancer, developing drugs to treat leukemia and advanced breast cancer, and showing that mammography is the most effective way to detect breast cancer.

Fighting back — Cancer is not only a health issue, but also a political issue. Funds raised through Relay For Life events help the Society advocate for all people to have access to critical cancer screenings and follow-up treatment, regardless of income.

Relay For Life Of Saline County

The 2016 Relay For Life of Saline County will be held on Friday, May 6, 2016 from 6 p.m. until midnight at CW Lewis Stadium in Benton. Teams are now registering for this year’s event, which has the fun theme of “Hunger Games for the Cure.”

To register a team, go to www.RelayForLife.org/SalineAR. Monthly meetings will be held from now until the event. The next meeting will be Monday, March 14 at the Saline Courier office in Benton. The planning committee will meet at 5:30; team captains will meet at 6:30 that night. Everyone interested in becoming a part of Relay For Life is invited to attend.

To join your Relay For Life or learn more about the American Cancer Society, visit the website www.RelayForLife.org/SalineAR or contact Don Kaminar, Event Chair at jidk1187@yahoo.com
or 501-837-2227.