Relay for Life event to support cancer patients, families in North Broward
In 2019, Chris Fletcher was diagnosed with Stage 4 Hodgkin’s lymphoma. The retired professional golfer had two small children at the time. Doctors said he had a 43% chance of survival.
Like many others in his position, he turned to the American Cancer Society (ACS) for resources, including support groups for his family and free housing close to his hospital.
Fletcher celebrated six years of remission in February — and over half a decade as a volunteer with Relay for Life, ACS’s biggest fundraising effort.
This spring, he’s returning as the lead coordinator for the North Broward event, which is scheduled for 4 to 9 p.m. on Saturday, March 28, at North Broward Preparatory School in Coconut Creek.
“For me, it’s hearing the stories about my neighbor, who needed to go spend three months in New York [for cancer treatment] and was able to use the Hope Lodge the whole time and not have to pay a dime,” Fletcher told the Coral Springs News on March 17.
“We’re not just raising money to go to someone’s salary, we’re actually seeing the money in action.”
The community walks began in 1985, when Dr. Gordon “Gordy” Klatt spent 24 hours on a track in Tacoma, Washington, raising money to help the American Cancer Society.
The event now spans across the globe, raising money for its patient resources and disease research.
In the modern version of Relay for Life, cancer patients and survivors walk the first lap of the day, with caregivers joining for the second lap. It also incorporates hand-decorated luminarias, which stand for community members who have died from cancer and those who are still fighting.
As the sun sets, participants walk a silent lap around the lantern-lined track.
“It really wakes you up,” Fletcher said, remembering the thousands of lumniarias displayed in past years. “You realize you’re not the only one.”
Those interested in having a luminaria at the North Broward event can pick one up to decorate at home, or do so at the March 28 event.
The evening will also feature a free kids’ zone, with a bounce house, obstacle course, face painting and crafts, as well as live music and food trucks, with a portion of sales benefiting the American Cancer Society.
Learn more about becoming a participant or volunteer on the Relay for Life website.
