Community Corner

Final Week in Countdown to New Rochelle 'Relay for Life'

Annual American Cancer Society fundraiser scheduled for Fri., May 31st kicks off at 7PM

With their mantra "The journey to end cancer starts with a single step," hundreds of local residents are gearing up for an all-night walkathon at Albert Leonard Middle School  on Friday, May 31st. The event, 'Relay for Life,' is the  signature fundraiser of the American Cancer Society.

With less than a week to go, 65 participants and 17 teams are registered with names like "All Night for the Fight," "Paws 4 A Cause," and "The Rack Pack."

During the fundraiser, teams will camp out overnight and take turns walking around the track. With a nod to the Cancer Society's mantra, "Because cancer never sleeps," the single rule is for at least one member for each team to be walking at any given time.

New Rochelle High School's "Hope from the Heart Club" nine member Relay team describes themselves as, "a team formed of very strange, different individuals. Every Saturday we hang out and watch movies. We all are great friends and are ready to do somthing that can and will become a tradition for us to do."

Though not every member of the 'Hope from the Heart' team has been directly touched by cancer, the teenagers' Relay page quotes a famous "doctor" to explain their determination to make a difference. 

"Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot,
Nothing is going to get better. It's not.? 
-Dr Seuss

Albert Leonard Middle School is located at 25 Gerada Lane. 

Schedule of ceremonies - Friday May 31st, 7:00pm - 11:00pm

  • Survivor reception: 5:30PM
  • Opening ceremony: 7:00PM
  • Luminaria Ceremony: 9:30PM
  • Closing ceremony: 11:00PM

The inspiration for the annual Relay for Life event stemmed from an effort taken by Dr. Gordy Klatt back in 1985. In that year, Klatt walked and ran for 24 hours around a track in Washington state, raising $27,000 for the American Cancer Society. A year later, 340 supporters joned Klatt's overnight event. Now, almost 30 years later, the annual event has become a global movement, with more than $4 billion raised thus far.  Across the country and around the globe hundreds of Relay events take place each year. 

To learn more about the New Rochelle 'Relay for Life,' click here.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here