Relay for Life scheduled for South County event in King City

KING CITY - The Relay for Life is coming to King City for the first time, on July 21 at 9 a.m.

The event is an overnight campout, and will end 9 a.m. July 22. Relay teams must have someone on the track at all times, as cancer never sleeps.

"I am truly honored to be co-chairing the first ever Relay for Life here in King City. I got involved because I am very passionate about life and giving back as much as I can," said Co-Chair Jennifer Trujillo.

Statistics say one out of every two men and one out of every three woman will develop some kind of cancer in their lifetime. Scientists are making strides in research toward the hope that someday they can find a cure for the deadly disease.

"I live all the way In Hollister, but it is this community that I love and feel connected to," said Trujillo.

Regarding the event, Trujillo said, "It’s a 24-hour event raising money and awareness. We have 14 teams so far and 85 people participating, and the numbers will get larger as we get closer to the date of the event. It will be a day to remember, that’s for sure!"

"Relay for Life is a great opportunity for the community to come together and fight back against cancer and celebrate the lives of loved ones who have battled this disease," said Martina Nino, online Chair for the King City Relay for Life.

One person can make a difference. Nowhere is that more evident than with the story of the American Cancer Society Relay For Life, which began in Tacoma, Washington, as the City of Destiny Classic 24-Hour Run Against Cancer. In the mid-1980s, Dr. Gordy Klatt, a Tacoma colorectal surgeon, wanted to enhance the income of his local American Cancer Society office. He decided to personally raise money for the fight by doing something he enjoyed—running marathons.

In May 1985, Klatt spent a grueling 24 hours circling the track at Baker Stadium at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma for more than 83 miles. Throughout the night, friends paid $25 to run or walk 30 minutes with him. He raised $27,000 to fight cancer.

That first year, nearly 300 of Dr. Klatt's friends, family, and patients watched as he ran and walked the course. While he circled the track those 24 hours, he thought about how others could take part. He envisioned a 24-hour team relay event that could raise more money to fight cancer.

Months later, he pulled together a small committee to plan the first team relay event known as the City of Destiny Classic 24-Hour Run Against Cancer. In 1986, 19 teams took part in the first team relay event on the track at the colorful, historical Stadium Bowl and raised $33,000. An indescribable spirit prevailed at the track and in the tents that dotted the infield, and so this is where it all started and has evolved into the event that it is today.

RFL starts with a Survivors Lap, when survivors are invited to circle the track together and help everyone celebrate the victories they have achieved over cancer. The Survivors Lap is an emotional example of how Relay participants are ensuring that more lives are saved each year, like those of each individual on the track.

They also recognize and celebrate caregivers at Relay For Life. These individuals give their time, love, and support to friends, family, neighbors, and coworkers who face cancer. At Relay, people understand the frustrations and joys of being a caregiver, since the effects of cancer reach far beyond just the person diagnosed.

After dark, RFL honors people who have been touched by cancer and remember loved ones lost to the disease during the Luminaria ceremony. Candles are lit inside bags filled with sand, each one bearing the name of a person touched by cancer, and participants often walk a lap in silence. As people take time to remember, those who have walked alongside others battling cancer can grieve and find healing. This is a time that truly highlights the importance of defeating this disease.

Last, there is a Fight Back Ceremony, where participants make a personal commitment to save lives by taking up the fight against cancer. That personal commitment may be to do something as simple as getting a screening test, quitting smoking, or talking to elected officials about cancer. By taking action, people are personally taking steps to save lives and fight back against the disease.

For more information about the event, call 385-5964. You can also make a donation, create a team or sponsor a team.