Relay For Life (often shortened to Relay) is the main volunteer-driven cancer fundraising event of the American Cancer Society. Originating in the United States, the Relay For Life event has spread to 21 countries.[1] Relay events are held in local communities, campus universities, military bases, and in cyberspace. Although the main objective of Relay is to raise money for cancer research and cancer patients, the event is held to spread cancer awareness, celebrate the lives of survivors, remember those who lost their lives to cancer, and unite a community in the fight against cancer. It is estimated that Relay For Life events have raised over $3 billion to date.[2] The first team to raise over $1 million is the Rosebud Miners,[3] and the largest per capita fundraiser for a college or university is Loyola University Maryland.[4] The largest virtual fundraising event is Relay For Life of Second Life, which has risen approximately $1,200,000 since 2004,[5] including a record $373,098 in 2011.[6]
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In May 1985, Dr. Gordon Klatt, a colorectal surgeon from Tacoma, Washington, decided he wanted to raise money for the American Cancer Society in honor of his patients. For 24 hours, Klatt walked around the track at Baker Stadium at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington. Throughout the night, friends paid $25 to run or walk 30 minutes with him. He walked approximately 83 miles and raised $27,000 to fight cancer. Nearly 300 of Klatt's friends, family, and patients watched as he ran and walked the course. After this successful event, Klatt thought about how other people could partake in a similar 24-hour event in communities across the country. He recruited a small team of people and put on the first Relay For Life event in 1986.
Since then, Relay has developed into an overnight event where people bring tents and sleep out around the tracks. People of all ages come out to bring the community together and reminisce about their loved ones who have died of cancer and honor those who have survived while raising money to fight for a cure. Now, almost 4 million people take part in Relay events in over 5,000 communities in the United States.[7]
Although all Relays vary, there are a few common features:
Survivors are a large part of the Relay community. It is important to honor those who have won their battle against cancer. At most Relay events, a Survivor Dinner is held for survivors in the community to come together and share their experiences with cancer. It is an opportunity for participants to reach out and connect with survivors. The Survivor Lap, which often signifies the start of Relay, is again used to distinguish the survivors and celebrate their victory. Sometimes survivors are invited to speak at Relay events to encourage those with cancer to continue fighting and to ensure the community that there is hope when given a diagnosis of cancer. Survivors represent the fact that cancer can be overcome.
In some cases, a cancer survivor or someone diagnosed with cancer cannot physically attend the event. In an effort to solve this conflict, ACS has implemented the concept of the Virtual Survivor. A Virtual Survivor is someone that has been diagnosed with cancer but, due to distance, time, illness and so on, he or she cannot attend a Relay event.[8] An individual, usually a family member, will represent the virtual survivor and honor them by walking in the Survivor Lap. The individual may create a poster, photo collage or T-shirt, to give tribute to the survivor at the Relay event.
Relay For Life’s slogan is “Celebrate. Remember. Fight Back.” The Luminaria Ceremony is targeted toward “Remember.” During this time, participants are asked to gather and remember those who have fallen victim to cancer. Luminaria bags are often decorated by participants, honoring a loved one who has passed or is fighting the disease. These bags are often placed around the track and candles inside the bags are lit before the start of the Luminaria Ceremony. Usually, the luminaria are used to spell out words such as HOPE and CURE, and the words illuminate during the ceremony. Some participants or guest speakers are invited to share their stories, and each participant is given a candle to light in remembrance of a loved one. Following the Luminaria Ceremony, it is suggested that participants walk a lap around the track in silence to give respect to those who have fallen ill with cancer or to those whose lives were lost. At some Relay events, pictures of cancer patients are shown and "Amazing Grace" is performed.
The Fight Back Ceremony, often held toward the end of Relay events, is when participants pledge to take action and spread awareness of cancer research, treatments, and prevention. Participants are encouraged to hold events in the community to help others quit smoking, push citizens to have routine screenings, educate about cancer in minorities, and to volunteer their time to the American Cancer Society. A representative from the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) may come to a Relay event and speak about cancer prevention bills and legislation that are trying to be passed. The Fight Back Ceremony urges participants to register for ACS CAN and set up a CAN page. ACS CAN has been successful in passing Michelle’s Law (named after Michelle Morse) and is a proud supporter of birthdays.[9]
Relay For Life is a volunteer-run event. Citizens work alongside of their local American Cancer Society office to put on a Relay event. American Cancer Society staff partners educate the community on how to establish a Relay event and about the various activities and events that are held during Relay. Staff partners may give fundraising tips and help publicize the event.
People interested in becoming part of Relay can contact the local American Cancer Society office. If there is not a Relay event in the area, one may decide to recruit participants and work with the American Cancer Society staff partners to establish a Relay event. If a Relay event is present in a community, an individual may go to Relay’s website: Each Relay event has its own webpage.
Each year, Relay For Life posts the top-earned college and community online fundraising statistics. In 2011, the Relay For Life of Virginia Tech was the university that raised the most money online[10] and Carl Sandburg High School in Orland Park, IL was the highest grossing all-youth high school event in the nation with just over $405,000.[11]
Colleges Against Cancer (CAC) was established to unite students, faculty, and university staff in the fight against cancer. Generally, CAC is the organization that runs the Relay For Life event on college campuses. Each year, Intercollegiate Summits are held for students to share their fundraising and advocacy ideas, and to help students be successful in running a Relay event.
At some universities, there is a board of students who run the Relay event. Board positions can include:
Coaches vs. Cancer has been established at universities between the American Cancer Society and National Association of Basketball Coaches.
Money raised through Relay For Life goes to[12]:
The following countries hold Relay For Life events[13]: Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Denmark, Germany, Guatemala, Honduras, Ireland, Jamaica, Japan, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Philippines, Portugal, South Africa, Taiwan, United Kingdom, United States and Zambia.