American Cancer Society Relay for Life

Form a team to take turns walking for 24 hours at an American Cancer Society Relay for Life walk near you. During the event, teams of people gather at schools, fairgrounds, or parks and take turns walking or running laps. Each team tries to keep at least one team member on the track at all times. The events benefit the American Cancer Society.
American Cancer Society Relay for Life

The event held in cities and towns across the USA. A quick search found 10 events in my local area alone. Now the events are spreading internationally in cooperation with Union Internationale Contre le Cancer (UICC). Search for an event near you.
American Cancer Society Relay for Life

Team captains register their team for the specific Relay for Life event of their choice. The team registration fee is generally $100. There is no charge to register individual team members, although they may register as a General Participant for $10. The team registration fee generally pays for the overhead for the event - t-shirts, porta-johns, promotion, site rental, etc.

Funds raised through the American Cancer Society Relay for Life benefit the American Cancer Society programs. Each team can set their own fundraising goal. Many teams host fundraising activities before and during the Relay for Life, such as selling items, bake sales, rummage sales, and asking for pledges and donations. By signing up online, participants can create their own fundraising web page to ask for donations.

The Relay for Life is generally held at a track, park or fairground. Teams set up tents or campsites to support their walkers. Team members take turns walking around the course, with the goal of always having a team member walking or running. Team members go their own pace, not racing. Organizers may have "theme laps" where costumes are encouraged.

The Relay for Life can be a very emotional event as those lost to cancer are remembered and survivors are celebrated. Often the track is lined with luminaria during the night. But it is also a fun event as teams take on fun names, themes, and keep their energy high through the overnight walk. The organizers may play music and hold contests to keep the energy going during daylight hours.

I took the last shift for a Relay for Life team, walking from 5 am to 9 am to get in a half-marathon workout. The tents lining the high school track were entertainment in themselves, and each lap I could see people waking up, getting organized, etc. Each hour had a different theme on the track and I got giveaways of socks, candy, etc. A breakfast was available for purchase and restrooms were handy in the grandstand. It was very enjoyable.