Pete’s Perspective: Relay for Life – Bringing the Community Together in the Fight to End Cancer

Media Contact: Karina Rusk
831-759-1843

Cancer touches nearly every person in some way. Despite tremendous progress in awareness, screenings and treatment, it remains the second leading cause of death in the United States, claiming more than 600,000 lives yearly.

More than 5,200 communities in nearly 30 nations participate in Relay for Life. While each event is unique to its community, the true power of Relay for Life is the combined commitment of the millions of people who volunteer and donate to support this annual American Cancer Society (ACS) benefit. Over $400 million is raised each year. The ACS invests the funds in groundbreaking research on every type of cancer and in providing free cancer-related services.

Salinas Valley Health is proud to have helped lead the way in our local Relay for Life since it began in this area 26 years ago. As healthcare professionals, we see firsthand the devastating impact of cancer. We also see incredible stories of survival. And, we feel a deep commitment to be part of the solution – through the services we offer to our cancer patients and our community, and through our annual participation in Relay for Life.

In 2022, the American Cancer Society recognized our Hope Heroes team with its Top Achievement Award. Our 2023 team, Hope Warriors, has been holding fundraisers all year to raise monies for Relay for Life.

It is an ambitious volunteer effort that our staff undertakes. They sell tickets for the car raffle, acquire generous donations for raffles of beautiful gift baskets, designer purses and more, make delicious treats for bake sales, sell luminaria bags in honor of cancer survivors and those we have lost to the disease, recruit participants for the relay, volunteers to help staff events and donors to contribute funds. In doing so, our Hope Warriors not only raise money for the ACS but also bring together the community in an exceptional way.

Salinas Valley Health offers a broad range of high quality, personalized treatments for cancer patients. From advanced diagnostics to serving as a leading provider in oncology and hematology care to practical emotional support, we understand the many forms of cancer and how cancer affects people differently. We are with our patients every step of their journey.

And every step forward in our support of Relay for Life helps efforts to create a world free of cancer. Everyone who has ever been involved in this special event has felt the extraordinary impact it has on a community. More than a fundraiser, it is a celebration of cancer survivors, a memorial for those we have lost, and a way to join a growing force of people working to change the world as we know it.

Relay for Life takes place on Saturday, September 23. Visit the ACS website to learn how to get involved. Whether you support our dedicated team of Hope Warriors or contribute another way, you are supporting the fight against cancer.