16th Annual Torrance Relay for Life April 21-22 at South High The statistics remain grim – cancer is the second most common cause of death in the U.S., exceeded only by heart disease. According to the American Cancer Society, in 2018 there will be an estimated 1,735,350 new cancer cases diagnosed and 609,640 cancer deaths in the United States. Which is why it’s more important than ever for communities to come together for The American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life. Help the Hollywood Riviera and its surrounding neighborhoods save lives by joining forces the weekend of April 21-22 for the annual Torrance Relay for Life at South High School.
Relay for Life is the world’s largest grassroots fundraising event, with participants and volunteers in more than 5,200 communities and 20 countries. 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 saving more than 500 lives a day. The Torrance Relay for Life raised more than $202,000 for the American
Cancer Society last year, and this year’s goal is to raise $210,000. The Hollywood Riviera Sportsman’s Club continues its tradition of fielding a team, with Igor Nastaskin serving as team captain for the 13th 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 $13,500 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 21 at 9 am followed by a survivors’ lap at 9:30 am. At 8 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 for the fundraiser, please contact Igor at 310-892-6016 or inastaskin2@socal.rr.com. Donations are accepted until August 31, 2018. Your gift is tax deductible as a charitable contribution to the fullest extent allowed by law.
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 21-22 as we pull together as a community to fight back against cancer.