Community groups and survivors and friends at last year’s Relay For Life event. Photos courtesy of Gabe Pack.

by the Relay for Life in Half Moon Bay team

August 2011 —
“Cancer never sleeps,” says the American Cancer Society. And that’s why the battle against cancer will be fought in an around-the-clock event on Aug. 20, 2011 — the American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life in Half Moon Bay. Teams of Coastside residents will gather at 10 a.m. at Cunha Intermediate School to begin the relay.

Relay For Life is a family-oriented team event where participants can walk or run relay-style around the track and take part in fun activities off the track. Teams can include co-workers, club members, family and friends who have gathered donations prior to the event.

Kevin Palmer, a cancer survivor for more than 13 years, was chair of the Half Moon Bay Relay For Life last year and is serving in that role again this year. “A Relay For Life is a unique opportunity for our community to come together in the fight against cancer,” said Palmer. “Many of the participants are cancer survivors, which serves as a reminder that our community is not immune to this disease and that we can actually help our friends, families and our neighbors that have been touched by cancer.”

The public is also invited to attend the Luminaria ceremony, which will take place after sundown. To honor the community’s cancer survivors and to commemorate those lost to the disease, survivors will circle the track rimmed with glowing luminarias, while the names of survivors and those lost to the disease are read aloud. Luminarias can be purchased for a $10 suggested donation by calling 650-726-7756. They will also be available at the relay.

Chad Crittenden and Kevin Palmer, both survivors.

Funds raised by Relay For Life will enable the American Cancer Society to support local services for cancer patients and their families. These services include Reach to Recovery, a peer-to-peer support program for women with breast cancer and “I Can Cope,” a series of classes to educate those touched by cancer. 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 270 communities throughout California, raising $28 million for the fight against cancer. The American Cancer Society is a nationwide voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by preventing cancer, saving lives from cancer and diminishing suffering from cancer through research, education, advocacy and service. For more information, call 800-ACS-2345, available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, or visit the Relay for Life website.