The event’s new leadership team is trying to appeal to a larger demographic for the fundraiser’s fifth year.
When Moorestown’s Relay for Life co-chairs Allison Schurr and Caroline McCoy graduated from Moorestown High School in June, there was some uncertainty as to what would happen to the event. The pair had coordinated the fundraiser every year since bringing the event to town as freshmen.
“There was a little bit of a panic after the last one ended. Who’s going to take that mantle? Will it die off?” said Vinny Napolitano.
To date, Relay for Life was largely run through MHS’ Relay for Life Club, but this year, the event is expanding beyond the walls of the high school and into the Moorestown community. Napolitano has stepped into the event’s lead role, and he said they’re spreading the word about the June 7 event earlier than ever in hopes of recruiting volunteers and donors now.
Relay For Life is the signature fundraiser for the American Cancer Society. Relay is a team fundraising event where members take turns walking around a track with each event spanning between six and 24 hours in length. Each team is asked to have a member on the track at all times to signify that cancer never sleeps.
There’s been a bit of a misconception circulating about Relay for Life. Napolitano said people often thought the fundraiser was for students because it was run by an MHS club and took place at the school. He said at its essence, Relay for Life is a community event.
He said while MHS’ club will continue to work on the event, Napolitano and his leadership team want to bolster their resources and appeal to a larger demographic. He said their team has been hard at work contacting organizations, clubs and donors that the high school students may not have been able to reach on their own.
The team has no plans to change how the event flows. Napolitano said the leadership team consisting of Wendy and Eric Schurr (Allison Schurr’s parents), Jan Pilenza and Natalie Lloyd from the Moorestown High School Relay Club have met several times and decided on many of the events key details.
For the event’s fifth year, the theme will be “Blast From The Past” with participants dressing in attire from their decade of choice. Napolitano said they settled on this theme because it appeals to a wide age range. He said they’ll coordinate with the event’s DJ to have different decades of music playing for various laps of the event.
Their fundraising goal is to raise $75,000. Napolitano recognizes this will be a “heavy lift,” but he said Moorestown is the type of generous community that can fulfill the hefty goal.
In the meantime, the leadership team is seeking volunteers. Napolitano said they hope to host more donation events leading up to June 7, but they need community members to help coordinate, spread awareness and make the series events a success.
“The event is the work of many hands,” Napolitano said.
Napolitano said he can’t underscore enough that the American Cancer Society is doing critical work. For Napolitano, the connection is personal. When his grandfather was undergoing cancer treatment, the American Cancer Society provided food and lodging near his grandfather’s cancer treatment center in Philadelphia. He said every penny they raise for Relay counts.
“It really does make a difference for cancer patients and their families,” Napolitano said.
To find out more about Moorestown’s Relay for Life or to volunteer during the planning process, visit http://tinyurl.com/RelayMoorestown or email relaymoorestown@gmail.com.
