Honor the survivors, remember the lost, and fight to end cancer as a community

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – Relay for Life of Yuma County is inviting all friends and family to an event on Saturday, March 16th at Desert Sun Stadium to raise awareness for cancer survivors and patients and to honor loved ones who have been affected by this terrible disease.

The event will run from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.. Check-in for survivors begins at 10am

The Survivors and Caregivers Lap will begin at 11:30 a.m.

Relay for Life is the world's largest volunteer-based fundraising event.

For more than 36 years, communities around the world have come together to honor and remember their loved ones and take action for change that saves lives.

In 2024, there are expected to be approximately 2 million new cases of cancer in the United States and more than 600,000 cancer deaths, including more than 13,000 Arizona deaths.

Cancer remains the second leading cause of death among Americans after heart disease.

This year's theme for the Yuma County Relay for Life is “Carnival for a Cure.”

Registration for Relay is free here You can register in advance or you can register and fill out a form on the day of the relay.

If you would like to volunteer, here.

Amber Thornton with Relay for Life of Yuma County says there are many different ways to raise funds.

“They do fundraisers throughout the year. They have teams that do takeovers at different restaurants around town. They do a variety of fundraisers, like selling luminarias at local churches. They also have a relay raffle. So there's a lot of different ways they raise money,” Thornton said.

Thornton added that as well as supporting a great cause, there will be many more benefits to be gained from the relay.

“We have teams selling a variety of things, from snacks to bracelets to stickers to yummy food to lemonade to barbecue tacos to fun stuff,” Thornton explained.

Luminarias are also a big part of the event.

These are white bags lined up along the tracks to honor all the lives touched by cancer.

Thornton says they can be dedicated to a loved one who has passed away, someone who is currently battling the illness or someone who has overcome it.

If you attend a relay event, you will see luminarias decorated with names and sometimes messages to those to whom the luminaria is dedicated.

“You can also do the same for the caregiver who accompanied you to your event to honour them and thank them for their assistance on your journey,” Thornton says.

As darkness falls, each lantern is lit in remembrance of someone who is or has been battling cancer, and relay participants share an emotional moment.

Then we will join together in a moment of silence to remember our loved ones.

The donation fee for Luminaria is $10 per bag. purchase Please make a reservation in advance or on the day.

This year, the group is using something a little different instead of sand to secure the bags in place.

“We are asking the public to donate canned food. There is no admission charge, so if you come to the relay, bring some canned food,” Thornton said. “Bring some canned food and we will use that to weigh out the luminarias over the course of the night and then at the end of the weekend, they will donate it to the community food bank.”

For Thornton, the experience was heartbreaking because cancer runs in her family.

“Everybody has their own personal reasons for relaying. Personally, I lost three grandparents to cancer within 13 months of each other, so I'm relaying for them,” Thornton explained. “And my brother was diagnosed with cancer at 30 and is a survivor, so I'm relaying for him too. It's mixed emotions for our family. It's mixed emotions for everybody out there.”

Relay for Life of Yuma County raised more than $91,000 in 2023.

This year's goal is $100,000, and so far more than $63,000 has been raised.

What to bring:

• Sunscreen
• hat
• sunglasses
• Umbrella (the relay can be played rain or shine)
• Spare clothes
• Comfortable shoes and a spare pair
• Cash for shopping.

For more information, hereIt's not just a walk, it's a relay for life.