By Jordan Brooks

jordan.brooks@middlesboronews.com

For more than 35 years, communities across the world have come together to honor and remember  loved ones and take action for lifesaving change through the Relay For Life that raises money for cancer research and patient-care programs.

The Relay For Live is coming to Middlesboro, and is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Sept. 30 at the Middlesboro Civic Center.

According to Jane Roberts, senior development manager, after the opening ceremony, the survivor caregiver lap will begin. There will be a costume contest and cake walk and a luminary service in honor and in memory of people who have been diagnosed with cancer.

According to Roberts, Relay For Life is a movement and a community of like-minded survivors, caregivers, volunteers and participants who believe that the future can be free from cancer.

“Because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the community is currently connecting in different ways,” said Roberts. “While our fundraising might look different right now, our passion to save lives, celebrate lives, and lead the fight for a world without cancer is unchanged.”

According to Roberts, there are many ways one can support Relay For Life’s mission. Relay volunteers help with registration, logistics, participant support and other unique opportunities based on the event’s location. One can also be a Relay For Life participant or team captain and volunteer time by participating in the event and fundraising. Because of Relay For Life’s volunteer-driven model, it is the world’s largest peer-to-peer fundraising event dedicated to saving lives from cancer. According to Roberts, Relay For Life is always in need of passionate volunteers who can unleash their creativity and find new and different ways to support Relay For Life and help fund cancer-fighting work.

“We really just need to get more people involved. We need more survivors to register and come out, and we would just like more participants,” said Roberts. “We would also love to see more sponsors and for more people to sponsor the luminaria ceremony.”

Individuals, organizations and teams can register and get a free t-shirt for signing up at www.relayforlife.org/bellky.

For more information, contact Darlene Jones at 606-670-4307.