It was a time to honor those who fought and continue to fight against cancer when more than two-dozen teams and 330 participants camped out overnight around the track at Lenape High School on May 30–31 for this year’s Relay for Life of Mt. Laurel event.
For this year, the Mt. Laurel event participants raised more than $50,000 for the American Cancer Society through their combined, yearlong fundraising efforts.
This time each year, similar efforts across the nation culminate with local Relay events where cancer survivors, cancer caregivers, family and friends to those with cancer and anyone else whose life has been in some way affected by the disease come together to celebrate.
The Mt. Laurel event featured scavenger hunts, crab-soccer, bingo games, relay races, volleyball, food, music, raffles and more.
One team of fundraisers was the Cure Scout Sisters, which raised more than $3,000. Led by team captain Kelly Cucinotta, a nurse of Mt. Laurel, her team this year consisted of four sisters and a sister-in-law.
Together, they honor the memory of their mother, who passed away from cancer, and several of their cousins who are currently fighting the disease.
Cucinotta said one of the most beautiful parts of Relay events are the Luminaria ceremonies where those battling or lost to cancer are honored with a candle inside a personalized bag placed along the track and illuminated after dark.
“I could easily get so many donations just for that, because the idea of trying to remember someone or honor someone who is battling cancer in that way, when I just describe that to someone, they immediately want to do that,” Cucinotta said. “We try to get people aware of what’s going on, like if you set it up like this people can’t help but want to come out and be part of it or see what it’s all about, and that’s what’s important.”
The Luminaria Ceremony is also what first caused Mt. Laurel resident Janine Arlow, a breast cancer survivor and team captain of Friends Fighting for a Cure, to start her own Relay team. Made up of Arlow’s family, friends, neighbors, coworkers and more, this year the team raised more than $5,000.
“In 2011, I got breast cancer, and I was introduced to Relay while I was going through my treatments, and it just touched me the first time I saw the Luminaria Ceremony,” Arlow said. “I said I’m going to do it every year until I can’t do it anymore. It gave me hope.”
Also at the event was Lynn Stow, a Medford resident, LHS paraprofessional and two-year survivor of breast cancer. Her team, Potter’s Clay, was able to raise almost $3,000.
Stow was diagnosed with breast cancer two years ago after going to her doctor for a quick test, and she was operated on just two weeks later because of her cancer’s aggressive nature.
Stow said she raised money simply by telling her story openly and honestly to family and friends through letters and by going to local businesses and organizations asking for their support.
“I wanted to get some money so cancer would end,” Stow said. “If we know that cancer never sleeps, then why should we for one night?”
