Connecticut walkers will "go around the clock in the battle against cancer" when the 6th American Cancer Society Relay For Life® of Bethany, Woodbridge and Orange gets underway at 6 p.m. April 27 with teams of residents gathering at High Plains Community Center.

"Relay For Life events are held overnight as individuals and teams camp out at an athletic track, park or other gathering area, with the goal of keeping at least one team member on the track or pathway at all times throughout the evening," according to a release.

"Teams do most of their fundraising prior to the event, but some teams also hold creative fundraisers at their camp sites during Relay. Relay brings together friends, families, businesses, hospitals, schools, faith-based groups . . . people from all walks of life – all aimed at furthering the American Cancer Society’s efforts to save lives by helping people stay well, by helping them get well, by finding cures and by fighting back."

“Relay is a unique opportunity for our community to come together to celebrate people who have battled cancer, remember those we’ve lost, and fight back against the disease,” said Mary Shaw, Volunteer for the Relay for Life of BOW, in the release.“Many of the participants are cancer survivors, which serves as a reminder that our community is not immune to this disease and that by participating in Relay, we are joining with the American Cancer Society’s efforts to create a world with less cancer and more birthdays.” 

Funds raised at Relay For Life of BOW are enabling the American Cancer Society to impact the lives of those touched by cancer within the community by  supporting vital, cutting-edge cancer research; providing cancer patients with services such as transportation to treatment, free lodging at Hope Lodge, and round the clock support at the national cancer information center available at 1-800-227-2345 anytime, day or night; publishing lifesaving literature on cancer prevention, detection and tobacco control; and developing a new generation of medicines that help those battling cancer, the release said.

Relay For Life’s Luminaria Ceremony takes place after sundown, honoring the community’s cancer survivors and remembering those lost to the disease. Participants will circle a track that is surrounded with glowing luminaria that bears the name of someone who has battled cancer. Luminaria may be purchased for $5 at the event, the release said.

Also a part of the Relay For Life of BOW is the “Fight Back” Ceremony, in which a community leader will inspire Relay participants with his or her own commitment and will challenge them to take a personal pledge of action (e.g., stop smoking, eat more healthily, exercise regularly, etc.) in fighting back.

Visit the BOW website to find out more information regarding this wonderful event at www.relayforlife.org/bowct. or call 1-800-227-2345.

Also in the release: "The American Cancer Society combines an unyielding passion with nearly a century of experience to save lives and end suffering from cancer. As a global grassroots force of more than three million volunteers, we fight for every birthday threatened by every cancer in every community. We save lives by helping people stay well by preventing cancer or detecting it early; by 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. As the nation’s largest non-governmental investor in cancer research, contributing about $3.6 billion, we turn what we know about cancer into what we do. As a result, more than 11 million people in America who have had cancer and countless more who have avoided it will be celebrating birthdays this year. To learn more about us or to get help, call us anytime, day or night, at 1-800-227-2345 or visit cancer.org."

Editor's note: All information in this post was contributed. It is largely unedited here and posted as a community service.

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