Fighting cancer one lap at at time

Relay for Life at the Presentation School this weekend|

The annual American Cancer Society Relay for Life has a new site, for this year, and different times.

This year, the event will be held Saturday, Aug. 27, and Sunday, Aug. 28, at the Presentation School, 20872 Broadway, instead of at Sonoma Valley High where it has been held since its inception.

Ashlyn Tamayo, the Relay for Life community manager, said the move was made because the high school track was scheduled to be repaved this summer and the school couldn’t guarantee the track would be ready.

The hours are also changed – this year it will run from 1 p.m. Saturday until 10 a.m. Sunday.

“We’ve moved the Survivors Lap to 6 p.m. Saturday,” Tamayo said, “to get it out of the heat of the day.”

The luminaria event is set for 9 p.m. Saturday.

While Presentation doesn’t have a track, a makeshift track will be created.

“We’ll have live music and camping on the grass in the back,” said Tamayo.

She said the number of teams and money pledged is down this year. As of Monday afternoon, there are 22 teams with 62 participants who have raised $24,576.

“We’re looking for more community participation next year,” Tamayo said. “We need new help – and we need a lot of it,” she said. “We’re looking to raise those numbers next year.”

The event is open to the public. “We’d love to have as many people who can make it come out,” she added.

According to the website, the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life movement is the world’s largest and most impactful fundraising event to end cancer. It unites communities across the globe to celebrate people who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost, and take action to finish the fight once and for all. With the support of thousands of volunteers, the American Cancer Society is helping save more than 500 lives a day.

Anyone who is interested in volunteering this year and beyond, can call Tamayo at 545-6728 or online at relayforlife.org/sonomaca.

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