April 23-24 at South High
The statistics from The American Cancer Society are grim: About 1,685,210 new cancer cases are expected to be diagnosed in 2016, with some 595,690 Americans anticipated to die of cancer this year. Cancer is the second most common cause of death in the US, exceeded only by heart disease. The lifetime risk of developing cancer is 42% (almost 1 in 2) in men and 38% (more than 1 in 3) in women.
Which is why it’s more important than ever for communities like ours to come together for The American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life movement to raise funds to end cancer. Help the Hollywood Riviera and its surrounding neighborhoods save lives by joining forces the weekend of April 23-24 for the annual Torrance Relay for Life at South High School. With the support of thousands of volunteers, the American Cancer Society is helping save more than 500 lives a day
Relay for Life is the world’s largest grassroots fundraising event, with participants in more than 5,000 communities in the U.S. plus countries worldwide. The event raises funds for the American Cancer Society with the help of teams of volunteers who commit to having at least one team member walking on a track at all times over a 24 hour period because cancer never sleeps.
Relay For Life honors cancer survivors, pays tribute to those who have lost their lives to the disease, and raises money to fight cancer. With the support of thousands of volunteers, Relay for Live fundraisers assist the American Cancer Society in helping save more than 500 lives a day This year’s Torrance Relay for Life goal is to raise $215,000 for the American Cancer Society. The Hollywood Riviera Sportsman’s Club continues its tradition of fielding a team, with Igor Nastaskin serving as team captain for the 11th consecutive year.
Please consider joining the Riviera Sportsman’s Club’s Relay team if you’d like to get involved (women and men are welcome). The team raised more than $12,000 for the American Cancer Society last year, and hopes to exceed that amount this year. Relay for Life began in 1985 with the vision of Dr. Gordy Klatt, a colorectal surgeon in Tacoma, Washington. In an effort to raise funds for his local American Cancer Society, Dr Klatt spent a grueling 24 hours circling the track at the University of Puget Sound, logging in more than 83 miles. Nearly 300 of Dr. Klatt’s friends, family and patients cheered him on as he walked, while others donated $25 to walk 30 minutes with him. Ultimately, he raised $27,000 to fight cancer.
The following year, Dr Klatt organized 19 teams to take part in the first team relay event, and a total of $33,000 was raised for the American Cancer Society. Today, Dr. Klatt’s vision is a fundraising phenomenon. Highlights of the Relay for Life are the opening ceremony Saturday, April 23 at 9 am followed by a survivors’ lap at 9:30 am. At 9 pm Saturday, a Luminaria Ceremony will honor survivors as well as those who lost their battle with cancer. The luminarias burn through the night to light the path for those walking to fight back against cancer. You can purchase and decorate your luminaria at the event on Saturday. Entertainment is provided throughout the event, which concludes Sunday at 9:00 am with a closing ceremony.
To sign up for the Hollywood Riviera Sportsman’s Club team, or to donate funds to the American Cancer Society, you can make a secure, tax-deductible donation online using the link www.relayforlife.org/torranceca. Once you are on the website you can register yourself as a team member by clicking the “Sign up Now” tab in the upper right portion of the page (to the right of the displayed photo), then “Join the Existing Team” tab and typing in “ Hollywood Riviera Sportsman’s Club” in the search field. Then follow the remaining steps of the registration process. You can also contact Igor at 310-892-6016 or inastaskin2@socal.rr.com for sign ups or donations.
Donations are accepted until August 31, 2016, so don’t be discouraged if you can’t make the event. Your gift is tax deductible as a charitable contribution to the fullest extent allowed by law.
For more information about the American Cancer Society’s support for survivors and patients, please call them 24/7 at 1-800-227-2345 or visit cancer.org. We hope to see you at South High the weekend of April 23-24 as we pull together as a community to fight back against cancer.