The American Cancer Society Relay for Life of Lowndes County will get under way at 6 p.m. Thursday. Volunteers and participants will gather at Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle Outpatient Pavilion conference rooms for a rally to launch fundraising for the year.
The rally, which will honor cancer survivors, will also feature speakers from the community who have benefited from local fundraising efforts.
“This will be the first opportunity to register a team and select a campsite for the overnight Relay for Life set for April 27 at the Columbus High School soccer field,” said Mott Ellis, team development chair.
The world’s largest grassroots fundraising movement, Relay For Life mobilizes communities throughout the country to celebrate people who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost and provide participants with an opportunity to fight back against the disease. Relay brings together friends, families, businesses, hospitals, schools, faith-based groups, people from all walks of life, all aimed at advancing the American Cancer Society’s vision of creating “a world with less cancer and more birthdays.”
Relay For Life began in 1985 with one individual, who walked and ran around a track for 24 hours and raised $27,000 for the American Cancer Society.
This year, Relay For Life will take place in nearly 5,100 communities in the United States and 20 other countries and will raise funds to support the society’s mission of saving lives by helping people stay well, get well, and by finding cures and fighting back.
To learn more about Relay for Life in Lowndes County, call Ellis at 662-574-1104 or visit RelayForLife.org /lowndesms.
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