Run, don’t walk, to support 2019 Valley Relays for Life

Relay for Life, the mother of all community fundraisers in the nation, gets back on track in the Mahoning Valley on Saturday for the start of what promises to be another rewarding and successful season.

As many well know, the colossal Relay for Life movement serves as the principal fundraising arm – and legs – of the American Cancer Society. In a united show of camaraderie, commitment and compassion, Relay participants run, walk, dash and dart toward the common finish line of taming the cancer beast.

In Relay’s three-decade history, the ACS estimates it has raised more than $5 billion that has helped to improve cancer survival, decrease the incidence of the disease and improve the quality of life for cancer survivors and their caretakers.

Historically, community relays throughout the Mahoning and Shenango valleys have produced jaw-dropping results toward achieving those solid accomplishments. Some of them typically rank among the most successful in the international program. Nationwide, approximately 3.2 million cancer fighters take part in 5,200 relays each year.

It is the indomitable spirit of cancer survivors, patients, caregivers and donors that helps to raise more than $1 million annually in our region alone. The bulk of those dollars stays in the community to support patients and caregivers.

Toward maintaining our region’s reputation as a leader in the Relay movement and toward providing maximum assistance to the good works of ACS, we encourage broad participation and generous support at the 2019 events. Those begin Saturday from 1 to 7 p.m. with the YSU Relay for Life at Farmers National Bank Field off of Fifth Avenue and continue over the next two months in Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana counties in Ohio and Mercer and Lawrence counties in Pennsylvania.

CHANGES THIS YEAR

Regular supporters of this region’s relays will notice a few changes in this spring’s schedule. For one, several individual communities that typically have sponsored their own relays, such as Boardman, Austintown and Poland, have consolidated into one large Mahoning County Relay for Life. That event, which we expect will be mammoth, will take place June 15 from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. in Boardman Park.

In addition, some traditional 24-hour relays have cut back hours this year to reduce expenses of putting on the event and to achieve greater efficiencies.

But don’t think for a moment that such minor cuts and consolidations are any sign of waning interest in the robust community initiative. ACS officials are quick to point out that participation levels and funds raised continue to increase year after year.

We’re counting on that trend to stay intact. After all, the need for a committed army of foot soldiers in the fight against the killer of 600,000 Americans annually remains painfully compelling. Close to home, for example, various forms of the disease continue to cut short the lives of 1,500 residents of the Mahoning Valley each year, according to the Ohio Department of Health’s “Cancer in Ohio” report. That report also shows that even though cancer rates in Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana counties have stabilized in recent years, they have not fallen nearly as quickly as in many other counties.

Despite such discouraging data, hope cannot be lost. Thanks in part to the efforts of Relay generosity, survival from cancer continues to increase – 70 percent today compared with 50 percent three decades ago when Relay for Life started. Moreover, ACS estimates resources from Relays have helped to save the lives of more than 1.3 million Americans since 1991.

With so much happening on the front lines of fighting cancer, the Relay for Life movement can ill afford to lose steam. Details on joining, supporting or donating to any of the events in our region can be found on the American Cancer Society’s website [cancer.org]. Mark your calendars now for one or more of these Relay for Life events nearby:

Saturday: YSU, 1 to 7 p.m., Farmers National Bank Field.

May 3: Niles, 5 p.m., Wellness Center .

May 10: Warren, 6 p.m., Courthouse Square, downtown Warren.

May 11: New Castle, 10 a.m., Cascade Park.

May 31: Columbiana County, 6 p.m. East Liverpool High School

June 1: Liberty-McDonald, 6 p.m., Woodland Park, McDonald

June 15: Mahoning County, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., Boardman Park