What is Relay For Life?

Relay For Life is the American Cancer Society’s signature activity. It offers everyone in a community an opportunity to participate in the fight against cancer. Teams of people camp out at a local high school, park, or fairground and take turns walking or running around a track or path. Each team is asked to have a representative on the track at all times during the event. Relays are 24 hours in length; representing the reality that cancer never sleeps.

Relay For Life is a life-changing event that brings together more than 3.5 million people to:

Celebrate the lives of those who have battled cancer. The strength of survivors inspires others to continue to fight.
Remember loved ones lost to the disease. At Relay, people who have walked alongside people battling cancer can grieve and find healing.
Fight Back. We Relay because we have been touched by cancer and desperately want to put an end to the disease.

Celebrate. Each Relay For Life events opens with a celebration of life. Cancer survivors walk that first lap along with their caregivers. It is a celebration of life and courage, and commitment to reach the finish line; a life free of cancer.

Remember. During the evening luminaria ceremony, we recognize loved ones who are fighting cancer and those we have lost. Sold by volunteers, each luminaria is decorated and placed around the track, lighting the way for walkers.

Fight Back. Our mission is to eliminate cancer and diminish suffering from cancer. And we are winning. We fund more cancer research than any other private, nongovernment source. Our research has led to major live-saving advances, such as the drugs Herceptin and Gleevec, among others. And cancer patients in our community are getting help daily, because of what we do at Relay For Life. Our volunteers also provide free patient support services and public education programs to our communities.

Who's who at Relay?
Teams are made up of 8-15 people who share a passion and commitment to raise money throughout the year. Teams can be composed of friends, families, co-workers, companies, churches, social clubs, offices, small businesses...and the list goes on. Team Captains and Team Members are the "foot-soldiers" in the fight against cancer.

Team Captains lead their team by representing them at monthly update meetings in your community. Team Captains organize and delegate the team's fund-raising events throughout the year - as well as the team's participation in activities throughout the night of the event. Team Members help out by participating in team and individual fund-raisers throughout the year. At the Relay For Life event, team members take turns walking around the track. Some will walk in the afternoon. Some will walk in the evening. And yes, some will even walk the "zombie" shift (the wee hours of the morning). Visit our Team Toolkit page to learn more!

The Relay Committee is a group of people that plan and execute the actual Relay For Life event. It is composed of many different people with many different skills for the many different features of Relay For Life. Visit our committee page to learn more or to join the committee!

Visit RelayForLife.org to learn more about Relay For Life and the American Cancer Society!