400 Residents Set to Fight Back Against Cancer on July 13 at Relay For Life of Central St. Charles

(St. Charles, Mo.) — St. Charles walkers will go around the clock to fight cancer during the American Cancer Society Relay For Life of Central St. Charles on “Cancer’s Unlucky Day,” Friday, July 13. More than $34,000 has been raised toward the goal of $63,000 to benefit the American Cancer Society. This celebration of life brings numerous groups and individuals concerned about cancer together in an effort to fight back.

More than 40 teams and 400 participants will gather at overnight to join the fight against cancer from 6 p.m. on Friday, July 13, until 6 a.m. on Saturday, July 14. The event is open to the public.

The American Cancer Society Relay For Life is a life-changing event that brings together more than 3.5 million people every year to celebrate the lives of those who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost, and empower individuals and communities to fight back against a disease that takes so much.

Relay For Life opens at 6 p.m. as cancer survivors (anyone who has ever been diagnosed with cancer) and caregivers walk or use a wheelchair to complete the first lap. This is an emotional time that sets the stage of the importance of each participant’s contribution. A festive atmosphere develops around the track. As walkers make new friends and spend time with old ones, the Relay heats up and the camp-out begins. An atmosphere of camaraderie is created with team members entertaining each other: eating, playing games and, of course, walking for a great cause.

“We are proud to open our event to the public, so that as many people as possible can be made aware of the progress against cancer Relay For Life has made,” said Ben Prinster, Event Chair. “Many of our participants are people who have dealt with cancer themselves, either as a survivor or as a caregiver. Their involvement is proof of the progress that has been made in improving cancer survival rates and the quality of life following cancer treatment.”

Highlighting the evening are the Luminaria and Fight Back Ceremonies. The Luminaria Ceremony will take place at 10 p.m. to honor cancer survivors and to remember those lost. Luminaria will line the track and are left burning throughout the night to remind participants of the importance of their efforts. The Fight Back Ceremony will begin at 2 a.m. and allows participants to make a personal commitment to save lives by taking up the fight against cancer.

Other activities include live music by the Johnny James Band from 6:30-10 p.m., followed by the Bowtie Trio starting at midnight. There will also be a Zumba-thon from 11 p.m.-midnight, and the Queen of the Relay contest at 1 a.m., where men in the community participate in queen events that include an evening gown and a talent competition. Coloring, arts and crafts, and games will be available for children in the Kids’ Corner beginning at 6:30 p.m. St. Louis Cardinals mascot Fredbird will make an appearance at 8:30 p.m. There will be a washers tournament from 9-10 p.m. Several fundraisers will also take place at the event, including a silent auction from 7-9 p.m. as well as individual campsite fundraisers that will go on all night.

“The funds raised will enable us to continue our investment in the fight against cancer by helping people stay well, by helping people get well, by finding cures, and by fighting back,” said Prinster. “Due to the generosity of corporate sponsors, the money raised by participants comes back to our community by directly benefiting all of the American Cancer Society’s lifesaving programs.”

Women’s Journals, SSM Health Care, Aschinger Electric, Doozle’s Ice Cream, Mid-West Outdoor Advertising, Oldies 103.3, Reynold’s Roadhouse, St. Louis Cardinals, Storage Masters, Suburban Journals, Aggreko and CK Power are among the Relay For Life of Central St. Charles’ top sponsors.

Lutheran High School – St. Charles is located at 5100 Mexico Road in St. Peters. Information about how to form a team or become involved in the American Cancer Society Relay For Life is available at RelayForLife.org or by calling the local Society office at 314-286-8183. For more information about cancer, call the American Cancer Society’s 24-hour help-line at 1-800-227-2345 or visit cancer.org.

The American Cancer Society combines an unyielding passion with nearly a century of experience to save lives and end suffering from cancer. We save lives by helping people stay well by preventing cancer or detecting it early; helping people get well by being there for them during and after a cancer diagnosis; by finding cures through investment in groundbreaking discovery; and by fighting back by rallying lawmakers to pass laws to defeat cancer and by rallying communities worldwide to join the fight.