As a Newtown Middle School eighth grader, Chris Lafky found information, camaraderie, and support as he watched his mother Mary Ann Jacob take to the Relay For Life podium as the event's Honorary Survivor, four years ago. This Saturday, Chris, now a high school senior, will be at the Relay For Life podium, and virtually everywhere throughout the Fairfield Hills site, as the event's newest and youngest co-chair.The Newtown Bee. "But come the day of the event, I'll be on site the entire day, running around, trying to get everything done."Relay TodayCanned Food DriveFor up-to-the-minute information, visit the local Relay's website at relayforlife.org/newtownct, or monitor updates via the local Relay's Facebook page.

Chris, and the dozens of fellow NHS students he has helped inspire to volunteer or form teams, represents Newtown's next generation Relay For Life leadership - who will help grow and sustain the popular, nonsporting fundraising and awareness-building activity benefiting the American Cancer Society.

"I've taken on responsibility for logistics, which hasn't been too ridiculous up to now," Chris told

For the first time in its local history, Chris has organized a student committee to help with event management.

"I have about six students heading up entertainment, recruitment, and one of them is handling a canned food drive for the FAITH Food Pantry," he said. "I think this year will be a much better event - I'm hoping we can get a lot of kids out here. Our fundraising is down from last year, but our number of participants are higher than last year, when we opted to not have an overnight event."

The free public event welcomes anyone from the community, whether or not they have been touched by cancer. This year's Relay For Life is boasting a game theme, and kicks off with the annual Survivors and Caregivers Reception at 3 pm at NYA Sports & Fitness. Teams are welcome to arrive on site anytime between 2 and 5 pm to set up.

The origins of Relay For Life date back to the mid-1980s when Dr Gordy Klatt, a Tacoma, Wash., colorectal surgeon, wanted to enhance the income of his local American Cancer Society office. He decided to personally raise money for the fight by spending a grueling 24 hours circling the track at Baker Stadium at the University of Puget Sound, clocking more than 83 miles.

Throughout the night, friends paid $25 to run or walk 30 minutes with him. He raised $27,000 to fight cancer. One year later, 19 teams took part in the first team Relay event on the track at the colorful, historical Stadium Bowl and raised $33,000.

Today, the American Cancer Society Relay For Life remains a life-changing event that gives everyone in communities across the globe a chance to celebrate the lives of people who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost, and fight back against the disease. At Relay, teams of people camp out at a local high school, park, or fairground and take turns walking or running around a track or path.

Each team is asked to have a representative on the track at all times during the event. Because cancer never sleeps, Relays like Newtown's tend to be overnight events.

Newtown's main event officially opens at 5 pm with ceremonies and a commemorative survivors' lap to open the 12-hour activity, which wraps up at 5 am the following morning. In-between, attendees will be treated to costumes, themed team sites, and loads of games, in keeping with the 2016 "Games" theme.

Following the emotionally charged opening lap, led by an honor guard representing the St Rose of Lima Knights of Columbus contingent and dozens of local cancer survivors and caregivers, entertainment commences, including a high-powered demonstration by the Monroe Dance Academy.

Relay contests will play out over the course of the 12 hours and include a hula-hoop competition, balloon toss, bingo, three-legged race, frozen T-shirt contest, human checkers, Twister tournament, and a scavenger hunt.

Those with hair long enough to qualify can donate to help make hair pieces for cancer patients through the Pantene Beautiful Lengths Campaign hosted by Ricci's Salon & Spa from 6:15 to 7:15 pm. To be made into a wig, the hair to be cut must be a minimum 8 inches, with no dyes, bleaches, or chemicals, and no more than five percent gray.

Participants on the track can stay energized during themed laps, including a Dance Party Lap, Jump Rope Lap, USA (themed) Lap, Glow In The Dark Lap, and the ever-popular "Miss Relay" Lap on the agenda.

At 9:30 pm, the track area will go dark and quiet for the solemn and always touching Luminaria Ceremony, with hundreds of candles lit in paper bags, many adorned with the names of survivors and those who lost the fight, adorning the flickering tributes. To purchase a luminaria, visit relayforlife.org/newtownct, or find them for sale at the event. Each luminaria bag costs $10, and you do not have to be a Relay team member to participate.

Organizers are also collecting canned goods to be placed inside each luminaria bag. After the ceremony, all canned goods will be donated to FAITH Food Pantry in Sandy Hook. Anyone can drop off canned goods until the event at NYA Sports & Fitness, or at Newtown High School.

There will be a purple bin labeled "Relay For Life of Newtown" in the foyer of each location.

Among other activities, St Rose of Lima's Monsignor Robert Weiss plans to lead a midnight Mass, and a sunrise yoga session for all will keep participants limber in the event's final hour, ahead of a brief closing ceremony at 5 am.

The Relay is also an opportunity for local service groups and businesses to show their support, either through underwriting donations, lending volunteers, and/or forming teams. For Chris, it is all about getting the message out about prevention and resources like the ones his family accessed when his mother was battling breast cancer.

"This event is fun, and it's effective. We want people to smile and laugh because it's a celebration. But at the same time we want people to be aware this is a fundraiser to fight and cure cancer," he said. "In that respect, we're really effective because the money that we raise has gotten a lot done."

Now that he has several years of Relay experience under his belt, Chris also brings a broad perspective because he has experienced the event as a caregiver being honored for supporting his mom, and now as a primary event organizer.

"It's been two very different experiences, being an outsider trying to support someone with cancer, and now trying to be a force for good in the program. And they have both definitely taught me a lot," he said. "The money raised is very, very important, not only for the research it's funding, but all the outreach and treatment options being made available and funded for Newtown cancer patients."

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