Vols Sought For M.V. Relay For Life
Teams of runners and walkers will put their best foot forward in the ongoing fight against cancer during the 10th annual American Cancer Society (ACS) Relay for Life in Middle Village scheduled to take place on the weekend of Saturday, June 23, and Sunday, June 24, at Juniper Valley Park.
Sponsored in part by the Kiwanis Club of Glendale, the Ridgewood Moose Lodge 1642, California Pizza Kitchen at Atlas Park and Maspeth Federal Savings bank, the fund-raising effort for the ACS will take place at Juniper Valley Park’s Brennan Field running track, located along Lutheran Avenue between 71st Street and Juniper Boulevard North, rain-or-shine at 4 p.m. on June 23 and continue until 8 a.m. the next morning.
This year’s relay, in which teams of family members, friends and/or co-workers walk or run laps around the track to collect money for the ACS, figures to be extra special for the organization, as it marks the 10th anniversary of the first Relay for Life in Middle Village.
To mark the occasion, the ACS has themed the 2012 relay as “Decade of Hope,” and have asked the participating teams to choose their own decade (such as the 1960s, 1970s or 1980s) and dress in the style of that time for the occasion.
Relay team members alternately complete circuits around the Brennan Field track to collect money pledge per lap; each member has pledged to collect a minimum of $100. There are generally between eight and 15 individuals on a relay team during the Middle Village event.
Anyone who isn’t actively participating in the Relay For Life can still contribute by purchasing $10 luminaria candles which will be set up around the running track. The candles are placed inside white bags and, at the request of the donor, contain the names of individuals who have survived or lost their battle with cancer over the years.
The luminaria will be lit during a special ceremony at 10 p.m. on June 23 and remain illuminated throughout the night to light the way for all relay participants.
Businesses and families may also purchase “Wall of Hope” signs for donations ranging from $125 to $500.
As with all other Relays for Life across the United States, the Middle Village relay kicks off with an opening ceremony followed by a “Survivor’s Lap.” Donning purple shirts, cancer survivors-whom the ACS defines as anyone who as ever been told by a physician that they have cancer-will complete a lap around the track in commemoration of their fight against the disease.
Once the survivors have completed their lap, the relay teams will be introduced and begin their all night journey. Teams will pitch tents around the track for their overnight stay and will enjoy a variety of games, music and entertainment.
The closing ceremony at 8 a.m. on June 24 includes a pledge taken by all relay participants to continue their work to help family members and others who are battling cancer prevent the illness from afflicting their lives.
According to the ACS, the first Relay for Life was held in 1985 in Tacoma, Wash., where a physician ran and walked around a running track for 24 straight hours in order to raise funds for cancer research. Other Relays for Life held in communities across the United States in the last 27 years have raised billions of dollars for the ACS toward cancer research and treatment.
Over the last 10 years, the Middle Village Relay for Life has brought over $150,000 annually to the ACS for those efforts. According to the event’s website, more than $75,000 have already been pledged by donors.
It was noted that the ACS is looking for volunteers to help with the set up and cleanup at the Relay for Life on both June 23 and June 24. Luminaria and wall of hope signs may still be purchased.
For additional information, contact Leslie Orlovsky of the ACS at leslie.orlovsky@cancer.org or call 1-718-261-1092, ext. 5526, or visit www.relayforlife.com/middlevillageny.
