Relay For Life to Celebrate Cancer Survivors

A sea of purple starts the Relay For Life as survivors lead off the first lap, and add their caregivers to the next lap.

As the local Relay For Life Event Leadership Team prepares for the fifth annual Relay For Life in Manchester on June 20, plans are under way for the various activities surrounding the event.

There are three major components to Relay For Life: “Celebrate, Remember, and Fight Back.” The celebration component traditionally starts off the Relay at 10 a.m., with all cancer survivors, wearing their purple survivor T-shirts, leading off the first lap of Relay For Life on the track at the Manchester Community Schools athletic complex.

Caregivers–anyone who has given significant assistance to a friend or family member following a cancer diagnosis–are also included in the initial laps of the Relay.

At 11 a.m., a Survivor Brunch will continue to celebrate the ongoing process of surviving a cancer diagnosis. A survivor is defined as anyone who has ever received a diagnosis of cancer. ALL survivors and all caregivers, are invited and most welcome to attend this free event, provided in your honor.

The brunch is held at the Manchester United Methodist Church, just a short walk from the athletic complex. Transportation assistance from the track to the church is available to brunch attendees thanks to Napoleon Lawn & Leisure. Survivors and caregivers are welcome to attend the brunch whether or not they are able to walk in the survivor lap.

For more information please contact Heather Dixon, ACS Community Staff Partner, at dixon.heather@cancer.org.

The Free survivor brunch is part of the celebration that Relay For Life offers in honor of all cancer survivors and their caregivers.

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by Marsha Chartrand

Marsha Johnson Chartrand, a founder, writer, and copy editor with the Manchester Mirror, is a 50-year resident of Manchester. She has a long history of volunteer and community involvement.