CARIBOU, Maine – Walkers will walk around the clock in the battle against cancer on Friday and Saturday, as the American Cancer Society Relay For Life of Aroostook County gets under way with teams of residents gathering at the Caribou High School track on June 4 at 6 p.m.
Relay For Life events are held overnight as individuals and teams camp out at an athletic track, park or other gathering area, with the goal of keeping at least one team member on the track or pathway at all times throughout the evening. Teams do most of their fund-raising prior to the event, but some teams also hold creative fund-raisers at their campsites during Relay.
Relay brings together friends, families, businesses, hospitals, schools, faith-based groups all aimed at furthering the American Cancer Society’s efforts to save lives by helping people stay well, by helping them get well, by finding cures and by fighting back. Each hour during the Relay features a different theme such as the Hawaiian Beach Party hour that will be held from 5-6 a.m.
“Relay is a unique opportunity for our community to come together to celebrate people who have battled cancer, remember those we’ve lost, and fight back against the disease,” said regional coordinator Mike Hart. “Many of the participants are cancer survivors, which serves as a reminder that our community is not immune to this disease and that by participating in Relay, we are joining with the American Cancer Society’s efforts to create a world with less cancer and more birthdays.”
Funds raised at Relay For Life of Aroostook County are enabling the American Cancer Society to impact the lives of those touched by cancer within the community by supporting vital, cutting-edge cancer research; providing cancer patients with services such as transportation to treatment, free lodging at Hope Lodge, and round the clock support at the national cancer information center available at 1-800-227-2345 anytime, day or night; publishing lifesaving literature on cancer prevention, detection and tobacco control; and developing a new generation of medicines that help those battling cancer.
Relay For Life’s Luminaria Ceremony takes place after sundown at 9 p.m., honoring the community’s cancer survivors and remembering those lost to the disease.
Participants will circle a track that is surrounded with glowing luminaria that bear the name of someone who has battled cancer. Luminaria may be purchased during the first few hours of the event.
To locate a Relay For Life event and find out how to form a team and get involved, call 1-800-227-2345 or visit RelayForLife.org/aroostookme.
