American Cancer Society Gears Up for 21st Annual Relay for Life

Going on its 21st year, the American Cancer Society will be hosting its annual Relay for Life event this evening at Lake View High School.

The event serves as a great opportunity to raise money for cancer research, and honors those who battle the disease here in Tom Green County. As of Tuesday May 17, over 718 participants have pre-registered to participate in the event, but the ACS estimates close to 1,000 people will be involved in the relay.

The event  is completely free to the public and will offer food and refreshments booths set up by the Relay’s teams in order to help reach its target goal of $200,000.

The constant increase in participants is what determined the location for the rally. Previously, the event was held at the Angelo State University track, near the Junell Center, for several years; however, the event now requires a larger space to accommodate all the participants and teams participating in the event.

“Our community really engages in this event,” said Mary Payton with the American Cancer Society.

Payton said fundraising for the Relay for Life goes on throughout the entire year. During the fall, Central High School and Glenn and Lee Middle Schools all host fundraising events that help support the relay. The bulk of the money is raised by the community’s efforts.

Payton added that the relay will consist of three different ceremonies that will honor all those who are part of the fight against cancer. The “Celebrate Ceremony” honors all the survivors, and includes the “Survivor Lap,” in which all survivors participate. This year there will be an expected 265 survivors in attendance.

The “Care Giver Ceremony” celebrates all those who are involved in the care of survivors. The final ceremony will be the “ Luminaries.” During this part of the relay, the American Cancer Society remembers all loved ones who have passed after bravely fighting against cancer. Participants do so by lighting luminarias, or paper bags containing votive candles.

The Tom Green County Relay for Life is one of the largest relays in the Southern United States. The American Cancer Society partners with Goodfellow Air Force Base and other branches of the armed services to host volunteers who help run the event.

The Relay for Life will begin tonight at 7 p.m. at the Lake View High School Track. Everyone is invited to attend and help support the cause in any way they can.