WANTED: Volunteers, Sponsors, Walkers for Encinitas Relay for Life

The Encinitas Relay For Life will take place at the San Dieguito Academy High School track beginning at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 6 and ending 8 a.m. on Sunday, Aug. 7.

Event organizers are seeking volunteers, sponsors and teams to participate. An American Cancer Society fundraiser, Relay for Life celebrates the lives of people who have battled cancer, remembers loved ones lost, and fights back against the disease.

Each year, more than 4 million people in over 20 countries take part in the Relay for Life to raise much-needed funds and create awareness to save lives from cancer.

"We often get people asking us if it’s a run, but you do not have to run," said Nick Johnston, one of the event organizers. "It’s more of a community fair that’s based around cancer awareness and fundraising. We are encouraging participants to sign up on the website and fundraise, but people are welcome to join us on the day of the event, as an individual or part of a team, without signing up prior to the event."

The Encinitas Relay for Life is in need of sponsors. Sponsorships are available in a tiered system where the level of advertising is based on the donation amount. The deadline for sponsorships is July 1. Businesses can contact Johnston for information at NickRelay4Life@gmail.com.

Relay For Life is a family-friendly event for the entire community. Teams will camp out overnight and take turns walking or running around the SDA track. It’s a 22-hour long event, and because cancer never sleeps, each team is asked to have at least one participant on the track at all times. There will be games and activities to provide entertainment and build camaraderie. The fundraiser will also include guest speakers, live entertainment and a special luminary ceremony to honor those who have been affected by cancer.

Johnston, a 2016 SDA graduate, began volunteering last year.

"We raised around $12,000 last year," Johnston said. "We’d like to raise $15,000 this year. We are hopeful the community will get involved and help us reach our goal."

Every year, the Relay For Life movement raises more than $4 million. The American Cancer Society puts these donations to work, investing in groundbreaking research in every type of cancer and providing free information and services to cancer patients and their caregivers.

For more information on the Encinitas Relay for Life, visit rely.acsevents.org and enter 92024 in “Sign Up For Event”, or email Karen Cook at karen.cook@cancer.org.

The event will take place at San Dieguito Academy located at 800 Santa Fe Ave. in Encinitas.