Have you ever driven by French Field late at night to see a field full of people and tents filling the Kent-Meridian High School Football field?
The American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life of Kent will take place at Kent-Meridian’s French Field June 4 and 5.
Relay For Life is the American Cancer Society’s signature event, dedicated to increasing awareness and raising funds to fight cancer. Teams of family, friends and co-workers not only raise dollars and camp out overnight, but also participate in activities and ceremonies.
Teams made up of neighborhoods, churches, businesses, organizations and more join together to celebrate those who have survived cancer, remember those lost, and join to fight back against this disease that is being defeated.
“Relay For Life provides a venue where everyone can celebrate, remember, and fight back,” said Event Chair Lance Goodwin “It is truly inspiring to witness the cancer survivors in our community Celebrate their victory over the disease. The luminaria ceremony gives us a time to remember those we’ve lost. And this year we’re including a ‘Fight Back’ ceremony where participants and community members will be able to make a personal commitment to Fight Back by saving one life from cancer this year.”
Participants at this year’s Relay For Life will have the opportunity to fight back by enrolling in the American Cancer Society’s third Cancer Prevention Study. Individuals between the ages of 30 and 65 who have never been diagnosed with cancer and who are willing to make a long-term commitment to the study are invited to enroll in the hope that research being done today will lead to a cancer-free tomorrow.
More than 5,000 communities throughout the U.S. now host an American Cancer Society Relay For Life event and have raised more than $3 billion for the fight against cancer.
Members from each team take turns, in an continuing effort, walking around the track in a metaphor for the cancer battle. That is, just like a person who is battling cancer would not stop their chemotherapy half way through their treatment, neither do teams stop walking.
Opening ceremonies, which are being hosted by Seattle disc jockey, Bender, begin 6 p.m., which is followed by the Survivor Lap.
At dusk, the luminara ceremony takes place, with a moving song sang by Seattle Opera singer Guy Bogar and a guest survivor speaker. Luminaria bags – white bags designed with memorable art for each survivor or lost loved one – circle the French Field track.
Entertainment continues throughout the event until noon Saturday, where teams can go home and relax, while those going through cancer treatment continue the fight.
So far, 92 teams have registered in the Kent Relay for Life, in hopes of raising the $194,000 the local relay raised in 2009.
LEARN MORE
For more information about Relay For Life, including when enrollment will be taking place for Cancer Prevention Study-3 (CPS-3), contact Becky Walter at bwalter@hiplawfirm.com. To learn more about CPS-3, visit www.cancer.org/cps3 or call toll-free 1-888-604-5888.
Donations can be made The Relay For Life of Kent event, and participants can start a team, by visiting www.rflkent.org.
You can still form a team or donate at www.rflkent.org.
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