“Whether you’re a donor, team member, team captain, or a part of the Relay’s committee, the contributions made by the Newtown community have made a significant impact on the American Cancer Society’s lifesaving work,” said Necole Salvesen, Newtown’s Relay For Life event chair. “Last year Newtown raised a record $410,000. With over 220 relays in New England, Newtown was ranked fourth.” Newtown was also recognized as number one within New England for raising the most funds online.

“So where does the money go?” asked this year’s American Cancer Society staff partner Mary Kate Doherty. “The American Cancer Society takes a four-prong approach to fund initiatives within research, education, advocacy, and services for cancer patients.” Since 1946 the American Cancer Society has invested more than $3.4 billion in cancer research with $87 million disseminated to organizations within Connecticut.

Mary Kate Dougherty had the pleasure of introducing Dr Glen Farr of Yale University’s Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology. Dr Farr addressed the audience, providing an overview of his research on SNAP Tag Technology and its use in protein localization for cancer. He then acknowledged the “American Cancer Society for funding approximately 20 percent of the postdoctoral fellowships at Yale University.”

“Knowing that the dollars raised by the Relay For Life are going to such a great cause,” Necole Salvesen challenged the volunteers and community of Newtown to have a successful fundraising event by matching last year’s results. “The theme for 2009 is the All-American Picnic and we look forward to the creativity the relay teams will bring to the event both in fundraising and education,” said Ms Salvesen. The Relay Committee encourages teams to begin the registration process by logging onto www.relayforlife.org/newtownct.

This year teams of Newtown residents will gather on June 13 for the overnight relay against cancer. Walkers will go around the clock to celebrate, remember, and fight back. Relay For Life is a family-oriented team event where participants can walk relay-style around a track and take part in fun activities off the track.

During Relay For Life, the track is lined with light luminaries honoring cancer survivors and serving as a memorial to those who lost their lives to cancer. Survivors play an integral role in the Relay For Life. They are encouraged and celebrated as they attend the survivor reception and unite in a “victory lap” to kick off the event. A mini relay, “Kids For A Cure,” is also held to educate youth, a central part of the chain in the fight against cancer.

Organizing meetings for this year’s event will be held the second Thursday of each month at 7 pm in the middle school cafeteria. Volunteers are needed to recruit teams, seek community support, coordinate logistics, find refreshments and prizes, plan entertainment, and lend their support in any way. For more information on Newtown’s Relay for Life, visit www.relayforlife.org/newtownct or contact the Relay Committee at relayforlifeofnewtown@gmail.com.

For more information on cancer, call the American Society at 800-ACS-2345, available 24 hours a day, seven day a week, or visit www.cancer.org. The American Cancer Society is the nationwide community-based voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminate cancer as a major health problem.