FAHS Participates in KU Relay for Life Walk

Every year, in over twenty countries, countless relays are held in an effort to raise awareness of cancer and to celebrate the lives of survivors. Relay for Life is a volunteer-driven fundraising event hosted by the American Cancer Society. The event has raised over three billion dollars to date.

In May of 1985, Dr. Gordon Klatt began raising money for the American Cancer Society in honor of his own patients. For twenty-four hours, he walked around the Baker Stadium track in Tacoma, Washington. Friends and family paid twenty-five dollars to walk for a half an hour with him. Klatt walked approximately eighty-three miles and raised $27,000 towards fighting cancer.

Since that day, people have begun following in Dr. Klatt’s footsteps quite literally. Relay events are held for over twenty-four hours at any number of places that offer patrons a track and the access to hold any number of events that are held within the groups participating.

This year, like many years before, mathematics teacher Cynthia Steele is leading a Fleetwood team at The Kutztown University Relay for Life. So far, there are twenty teams this year, all hoping to raise the most money of any single team.

“The Survivor walk and the Luminaria Lighting are our favorite events at Relay,” Steele said.

The Survivor walk is one of the first laps walked on the track the day of relay; it is where all survivors of cancer and caretakers of cancer patients walk one lap around the track to the applause of bystanders.

The Luminaria event is the ceremonial lighting of a large collection of luminaries. Each luminary represents a life lost to cancer and a family member or friend who is to be remembered by that luminary. These luminaries stay lit until the next morning.

The Kutztown Relay for Life event started at 3.:00 p.m. on 1 June and ended on 2 June at 3:00 p.m. with the Survivor walk at 7:00 p.m. and the Luminaria Lighting at 9:00 p.m.