Austintown Relay for Life event to take place in June

On June 4, Austintown will be hosting its annual Relay For Life Event at the Austintown Elementary School parking lot from 10 a.m. until 10 p.m.

This event is 12 hours long. During those 12 hours participants will be celebrating, remembering and fighting back against cancer.

Opening ceremonies will begin at 10 a.m. with a survivor lap immediately following. A lunch will be provided for survivors and caregivers around 11 a.m. in the Elementary School Cafeteria. The lunch will consist of a variety of soups, salads, sandwiches and desserts.

Throughout the entire event there will be entertainment and activities for all ages, including carnival games, a dunk tank and a frozen t-shirt contest. BW3 will host a challenging Wing Eating contest and relay teams will compete in the first ever lip sync battle. Basket raffles, food and games will also be provided by the teams. Additionally, this year’s participants will be encouraged to write “Messages Of Hope” along the inside of the track with sidewalk chalk that will be provided. The inspirational messages will remind participants why they relay.

Join participants at 9 p.m. for the HOPE Ceremony with the lighting of candles for survivors. Closing ceremonies will immediately follow around 9:30 p.m.

Each year, Austintown Relay for Life comes up with event fundraisers to help teams and the event reach a fundraising goal of $90,000. Community support is appreciated.

This year, Relay For Life of Austintown is having a “Cure in your Trunk Sale” on April 23 from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. at the Highway Tabernacle Church parking lot. This fundraiser is open to teams and any vendors that would like to attend. Spaces for this fundraiser are a donation of $10. This event is open rain or shine. Contact kellyjohwp@gmail.com for more information.

Each month, Austintown Relay for Life members host team captain meetings. Anyone interested in joining this event can visit the website at http://relayforlife.org/austintown, or attend an upcoming meeting at the American Cancer Society office in Canfield. Meeting dates are at 7 p.m. on April 21 and May 26.