Lake Forest/Lake Bluff Relay For Life Event Fast Approaching

July is just around the corner, and that means that the annual Lake Forest/Lake Bluff Relay for Life at event is fast approaching.

Saturday's (June 25) event is shaping up to be particularly memorable, and as large or larger than ever before. So far, more than 230 people have signed up to participate in the event and have already raised more than $67,000, according to the event website.

"I'm looking forward to seeing all the people who will be attending the event this year," noted Alicia Wren, the American Cancer Society organizer in charge of the Lake Forest/Lake Bluff event.

"Relay for Life has always been a wonderful community event. It allows a community of like-minded people to come together and fight back against cancer. It allows friends, neighbors, families, co-workers and relatives to come together and do something truly good for their community," she added.

A few changes have been made to the event this year.

• The American Cancer Society (the official sponsor of Relay for Life) has decided, for instance, to introduce an iPhone app into the mix this year. The app will enable fundraisers to keep track of their earnings as the date of the event approaches, and it ought to help them hit their target goals faster than ever.
• A new fundraising medal system has been created to reward fundraisers for their hard work and offer them extra incentives to raise even more money for thel cause.

The logistical aspects of Relay for Life will follow the same tried and true  formula. The relay will once again be an overnight event starting at 6 p.m. Saturtday (June 25) and lasting until 6 a.m. the next day.

The event will also start — as always — with a survivor's lap. The survivor's lap, which celebrates the tribulations and triumphs of cancer survivors, has long been considered a Relay for Life favorite.

There will also be the annual Luminaria ceremony. The ceremony is described on the Relay for Life website as "one of the most moving parts" of the event this year, or any year:

"It's a really powerful," said Wren, who is an income development representative for the American Cancer Society.

In addition, Harry Griffith, superintendent of School Districts 67 and 115 in Lake Forest and a cancer survivor, will speak as the event's honorary survivor. "His story is truly inspiring," Wren said.

For more information, visit the Relay for Life website here.