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Community Corner

Relay for Life Planning Begins

Two events set next month to draw community interest.

Planning for the A June 9 and 10 at the Deerfield High School track began in earnest Wednesday with a meeting of interested volunteers at Deerfield Village Hall.

The actual event begins at 6 p.m. June 9 and lasts until 6 a.m. the following morning as relay teams walk or run around the 400-meter track all night to raise money to fight cancer, according to spokesperson Janet Pacanowski.

Two initial kick off events are planned, one for the young people of Deerfield and Highland Park at 6 p.m. Feb. 18 at NovaHP. The other is at 6 p.m. Feb. 21 at La Casa de Isaac & Moishe for anyone else in the community who wants to help organize the event.

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The kick-off events offer information not only about planning the Relay for Life but about the American Cancer Society’s mission of saving lives faster by helping people stay well, helping people get well, finding cures and fighting back, according to Pacanowski. 

The Relay for Life has special meaning for people have participated in the past like Samantha Soloway. “I relay to celebrate, remember and fight back. I relay for all those who can't. I relay for a cure so no one has to go through it again. I relay for hope,” she said.

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Aries Loumis is another person who has found a passion for the event. He lost his best friend to cancer and uses Relay for Life to help him make a difference.

“Because I don't want anyone else to ever have to lose in an unfair fight against cancer,” Loumis said of his purpose. “And because ever since Relay picked me up, I've wanted to lift other people up, and let cancer patients, survivors, caregivers, family and just flat out friends, know that they're not alone.”

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