Dear Editor,
What started as one man walking around a track in Tacoma, Wash., in 1985 has turned into the world’s largest and most impactful fundraising event to end cancer. I’m talking about the American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life, which unites more than four million participants in 6,000 communities across the globe to celebrate people who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost, and take action to finish the fight once and for all.
We can make a difference right here in our community through our local American Cancer Society (ACS) Relay For Life of Arlington, set for Saturday, April 23, from 6 p.m. to 1 a.m. at the Arlington Town Square. While this family-friendly event is free to the public, I encourage people from every part of our community to get involved by forming a team, raising money and awareness and joining us to fight cancer.
Relay For Life is not a 5K walk/run. Instead, it’s a community event. In addition to activities for the whole family to enjoy, we’ll have entertainment, contests and the stores around the Square will be open late to donate a portion of sales to the American Cancer Society. Our event begins at 6 p.m. with an Opening Ceremony to recognize cancer survivors and their caregivers. At dusk, we’ll have a Luminary Ceremony to remember and honor those touched by cancer. The event concludes with a Fight Back Ceremony to reinforce our commitment to fighting cancer.
Dollars we raise help the American Cancer Society save more lives by funding groundbreaking cancer research, providing free information and critical services for people with cancer, and helping people take steps to reduce their risk for cancer or detect it early when it’s the easiest to treat. The Society’s efforts have contributed to a 23 percent decline in cancer death rates in the U.S. since 1991, and a 50 percent drop in smoking rates. Thanks in part to our progress, 14.5 million Americans who have had cancer and countless more who have avoided it are alive today.
Now is the time for individuals, families, clubs, faith-based organizations, and businesses to make an impact in the fight to end cancer. Join me at our Relay For Life event!
Visit relayforlife.org/arlingtontn or call (901) 725-8632 for more information about local opportunities.
Sincerely,
Sabrina Shultz
Team Captain, Team Ewing Place
Arlington, Tenn.
#Relay38002
Related social media links
- ACS on Facebook
- ACS on Twitter: @AmericanCancer
- ACS on YouTube
- ACS on LinkedIn
- ACS website
- Better Business Bureau (BBB) accreditation for ACS
For more information on letter-writing guidelines and how to submit letters, see our “Letters to the Editor” page.
