Relay for Life scheduled in four county communities

In towns across Ocean County, neighbors will soon come together to fight cancer and honor survivors.

Local residents will join 3,800 other communities across America in a celebration of survivorship and hope at the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life.

The overnight event’s inception was in 1985. Relay for Life is the largest grassroots fund-raiser in the world and is designed to give everyone an opportunity to participate in the fight against cancer.

Survivors of all ages will walk around the track in a victory lap and friends will honor loved ones lost to the disease in an evening candlelight vigil. Caregivers will also be honored with a special ceremony and lap in their honor.

The overnight event joins teams of 10 to 15 people who will camp out at com­munity sites and take turns circling a track or path to raise awareness and funds to support cancer research, education, advo­cacy and patient services in the commu­nity.

This year, local events will be held at the following locations: May 30-31 at Ocean County College, Dover Township.; May 30-31 at Southern Regional High School, Stafford Township.; June 7-8 at New Egypt High School, Plumsted Town­ship; and June 27-28 at FirstEnergy Park, Lakewood.

Relay for Life opens as cancer sur­vivors walk, run or otherwise move around the track for the first lap.

A luminaria service will be held after dark to honor cancer survivors and to re­member loved ones lost to cancer. The luminaria candles line the track and are left burning throughout the night to re­mind participants of the importance of their contributions.

Since the first Relay for Life was held in 1985 in Tacoma, Wash., the event has raised over $977 million. In 2003, Relay for Life will break the $1 billion mark.

"Relay for Life truly embodies the spirit of the American Cancer Society," said Patricia Tupycia, director of Relay for Life in Monmouth and Ocean coun­ties. "Besides raising much-needed funds for cancer research, programs and ser­vices, Relay raises awareness about the disease and brings the community to­gether."

Including these local events, the Amer­ican Cancer Society will host Relay for Life in 43 New Jersey communities.

To find out more about Relay for Life in your community, call (800) ACS-2345 or visit www.cancer.org.