Community Corner

Relay for Life: Join the Fight in North County

The annual event returns to North County this weekend with the focus on curing and ending cancer.

Most people can think of someone in their lives affected by cancer, and this weekend you can help in the fight to stop and cure cancer in the annual Relay for Life event.

Relay for Life North St. Louis County will be held at St. Louis Community College at Florissant Valley Saturday, starting at noon.

According to the American Cancer Society, more than 1.6 million new cases of cancer will be diagnosed in the United States this year. Relay for Life provides a way for survivors and those who support survivors and others battling cancer to walk to end the disease and fundraise for research.

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Participants in the event have come from all walks of life, and each has their own reason for participating in the annual event.

"I first got involved because my dad had prostate cancer, but in April 2009, my mom was also diagnosed with cancer," Denise Hill, 2011 event chair for the North County relay, said in an earlier article.

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"Too many kids lose parents, and too many parents lose kids," she said. "We need to show support for the survivors. It's a rough road, and Relay for Life gives you people who support you and understand what you're going through."

This year's Chair Rachel Garcia wrote to Patch in an email about the importance of the event for the community. 

"Relay for Life is an opportunity for North County to come together as a community to celebrate with those we know who have won their battle against cancer and those who continue to fight against it; to remember those we have lost to the disease; and to fight back as a community against cancer by raising funds and prevention awareness," she wrote.

According to the Relay for Life North St. Louis County website, the relay has raised more than $16,600 as of Thursday afternoon. Christian Hospital’s team leads the way in most funds raised with more than $6,500.

Garcia said the goal of the event is $100,000, but she expects many more donations during the event Saturday.

The Relay for Life annually brings in more than $400 million, according to the Relay for Life website.

The 12-hour event has a number of activities slated for the day, including the opening ceremony, survivors dinner, survivors ceremony and one of the most anticipated events, the luminaria Ceremony. The luminaria ceremony remembers those who have lost their battle with cancer, those who continue to fight and those who have fought and won. It will take place at 9 p.m.

Registration and donations are still being taken on the Relay for Life North St. Louis County website currently. Individuals can register for $10 on the website.



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