Relay for Life to be held June 20 to 21
Medford is gearing up for its eighth year of Relay for Life, to benefit the American Cancer Society. The relay’s tagline is “Celebrate, Remember, Fight Back,” and that’s what event chairwoman Terri Merlino is doing.
Merlino, of Marlton, is a five-year colorectal cancer survivor, and because of that, she helps with the relay.
“I went through about 18 months of treatment, radiation, chemotherapy, multiple surgeries. And during that entire time, at the end of it, on the other side, I said I would do whatever I could to eliminate cancer, because I didn’t want anybody else to go through what I went through,” Merlino said.
The American Cancer Society has been using the 24-hour relay format for 25 years. Held June 20 through June 21 at Freedom Park, in Medford, Merlino said the event is the signature fundraiser for the society, and added that last year the Medford relay brought in about $325,000. A municipality must have a strong community involvement to host the relay, as it’s all volunteer-run. Merlino said Medford has it.
“The atmosphere is amazing,” she said. “Anybody that comes out to a relay becomes completely hooked.”
Between 2,000 and 3,000 are expected to attend the relay this year, and the logistics require an “awesome,” all-volunteer planning committee, save for one staff member from the American Cancer Society. The committee meets with the township regularly, starting in September.
Cancer survivors are the guests of honor at the relay, and the 24-hour-theme is significant because cancer never sleeps, Merlino said. The relay begins with an opening ceremony, followed by the first lap, which is the “survivor lap.”
“Honestly, that’s one of the most special memories for me,” Merlino said. “Survivors take that first lap, and everyone else is there cheering you on.”
The Medford Relay is very much a family and community event, Merlino said. There is a kids’ carnival from 2 to 4 p.m., and a dog walk from 4 to 6 p.m. — a rarity at Relay for Life events in the country, she added. Most of the fundraising happens leading up to the event, though there is on-site fundraising. There is no competition aspect to the relay, but as a rule, a member of a team must be on the track at all times.
Leading up to the relay, the American Cancer Society hosted a dinner for the survivors, held, appropriately, on June 1, National Cancer Survivor Day. Not a fundraising event, the dinner is meant just to celebrate survivorship — bringing survivors and caretakers together.
“You have a group of people that come together, and the only thing that they have in common is their cancer survivorship, so they’re strangers,” Merlino said. “It’s very interesting to me. At the end of two hours, after sharing a meal together, there’s a lot of camaraderie. The thing you hear over and over again is, ‘Thank you so much. You don’t know what you’ve done for me — having someone else to talk to that’s been through this.’”
The relay also recognizes caregivers — a group that is often forgotten.
“No one really can appreciate the burden that the caregiver goes through, other than another caregiver — especially someone who has lost someone very close to them,” she said.
Though just days away, it’s not too late to participate. Those interested can sign up online or the day of the event for $10, and the average participant raises $100. As of June 8, there were 77 teams registered for the relay, and Merlino’s team, PHH-Merlino’s Silver Lining, was in second place in fundraising, having raised $6,000. For more information on the relay, visit www.RelayForLife.org/medfordNJ.
Merlino, of Marlton, is a five-year colorectal cancer survivor, and because of that, she helps with the relay.
“I went through about 18 months of treatment, radiation, chemotherapy, multiple surgeries. And during that entire time, at the end of it, on the other side, I said I would do whatever I could to eliminate cancer, because I didn’t want anybody else to go through what I went through,” Merlino said.
The American Cancer Society has been using the 24-hour relay format for 25 years. Held June 20 through June 21 at Freedom Park, in Medford, Merlino said the event is the signature fundraiser for the society, and added that last year the Medford relay brought in about $325,000. A municipality must have a strong community involvement to host the relay, as it’s all volunteer-run. Merlino said Medford has it.
“The atmosphere is amazing,” she said. “Anybody that comes out to a relay becomes completely hooked.”
Between 2,000 and 3,000 are expected to attend the relay this year, and the logistics require an “awesome,” all-volunteer planning committee, save for one staff member from the American Cancer Society. The committee meets with the township regularly, starting in September.
Cancer survivors are the guests of honor at the relay, and the 24-hour-theme is significant because cancer never sleeps, Merlino said. The relay begins with an opening ceremony, followed by the first lap, which is the “survivor lap.”
“Honestly, that’s one of the most special memories for me,” Merlino said. “Survivors take that first lap, and everyone else is there cheering you on.”
The Medford Relay is very much a family and community event, Merlino said. There is a kids’ carnival from 2 to 4 p.m., and a dog walk from 4 to 6 p.m. — a rarity at Relay for Life events in the country, she added. Most of the fundraising happens leading up to the event, though there is on-site fundraising. There is no competition aspect to the relay, but as a rule, a member of a team must be on the track at all times.
Leading up to the relay, the American Cancer Society hosted a dinner for the survivors, held, appropriately, on June 1, National Cancer Survivor Day. Not a fundraising event, the dinner is meant just to celebrate survivorship — bringing survivors and caretakers together.
“You have a group of people that come together, and the only thing that they have in common is their cancer survivorship, so they’re strangers,” Merlino said. “It’s very interesting to me. At the end of two hours, after sharing a meal together, there’s a lot of camaraderie. The thing you hear over and over again is, ‘Thank you so much. You don’t know what you’ve done for me — having someone else to talk to that’s been through this.’”
The relay also recognizes caregivers — a group that is often forgotten.
“No one really can appreciate the burden that the caregiver goes through, other than another caregiver — especially someone who has lost someone very close to them,” she said.
Though just days away, it’s not too late to participate. Those interested can sign up online or the day of the event for $10, and the average participant raises $100. As of June 8, there were 77 teams registered for the relay, and Merlino’s team, PHH-Merlino’s Silver Lining, was in second place in fundraising, having raised $6,000. For more information on the relay, visit www.RelayForLife.org/medfordNJ.
