Families and Friends of Santa Barbara Use Their Hearts and Feet to Fight Cancer
Teams of Santa Barbara residents will gather at Bishop Diego High School on April 21 at 10:00am for an overnight relay against cancer. Relay For Life is a family-oriented team event where participants walk relay-style around the track and take part in fun activities off the track. Teams can include coworkers, organization members, family and friends and have gathered donations prior to the event.
This year, there are so many local entertainers coming out to support Relay For Life and perform on stage for the participants throughout the day. Activities are scheduled for youngsters and adults on the track to keep everyone active and excited all day long. Even if you can’t put together a team, come check out the event and support your local community by walking for an hour or so or participating in the team fundraisers around the track. “We guarantee that you will be inspired to Fight Back against cancer long after the event is over because of the camaraderie and spirit created around the track. This event is something that you don’t want to miss,” said Lindsey Lockshaw, Relay Manager.
“Relay For Life 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 Jaime Espinosa, Relay Event Chair. “Many of the participants are cancer survivors (anyone who has ever been diagnosed with cancer), which serves as a reminder that our community is not immune to this disease and we can actually help our friends, families and neighbors that have been touched by cancer,” Lucille Ramirez, Advocacy Chair, added. Cancer Survivors and their caregivers are invited to come to the Survivor Breakfast at 9am and walk in the infamous Survivor Lap to start off the event at 10am. Their strength and courage help the community celebrate the fact that we are making progress in the fight against cancer.
The public is also invited to attend the Luminaria Ceremony, which will take place after sundown, at about 9pm. This ceremony honors the community’s cancer survivors and to remember those lost to the disease, survivors will circle the track rimmed with glowing luminaria while the names of survivors and those lost to the disease are read aloud. Luminaria can be purchased for $10 on the day of the event or by going to www.RelayForLife.org/SantaBarbaraca.
Funds raised at Relay For Life will enable the American Cancer Society to support local services and resources for cancer patients and their families. Funds also support critical cancer research and community education programs designed to teach people how to reduce their risk of developing cancer.
Relay For Life events will be held in more than 450 communities throughout California, raising $30 million for the fight against cancer each year for the past several years. To locate a Relay For Life event and find out how you can get involved, please call 1-800-ACS-2345 or visit www.RelayForLife.org/SantaBarbaraca.
The American Cancer Society is dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by saving lives, diminishing suffering and preventing cancer through research, education, advocacy and service. Founded in 1913 and with national headquarters in Atlanta, the Society has 13 regional Divisions and local offices in 3,400 communities, involving millions of volunteers across the United States. For more information, call 1-800-ACS-2345 or visit www.cancer.org.