BOYLE-MERCER RELAY FOR LIFE

Press release

Hundreds of local residents are expected to join together at the American Cancer Society Relay For Life of Boyle/Mercer Saturday, August 24 at 5 p.m. at First Baptist Church in Danville. This year’s theme is “Relay for the Game of Life”.

This is the second year Boyle and Mercer counties have joined together to celebrate local cancer survivors, remember those who have died of cancer and as neighbors join together to fight back against cancer.

Cortney Justice, Relay For Life of Boyle-Mercer event chair, said, “it’s not about where you live or work, cancer doesn’t pick specific addresses. So whether you live in Boyle county or Mercer county, we want everyone to come together for this special community event to support each other. Cancer is the enemy — so let’s fight it together.”

Relay For Life will be held from 5 to 11 p.m. outside of First Baptist Church. Justice added “This location was chosen because it’s located near the county lines for both communities and First Baptist Church Danville was gracious enough to allow us to use their grounds for the event”.

Relay For Life is free and open to the public. There will be a survivor lap as well as fun things like bounce houses, music, silent and live auctions, games, food and more.

The luminaria ceremony will be held at dark to honor and remember those touched by cancer.

The event and the dollars raised from it support the American Cancer Society’s efforts to save lives by helping people stay well, helping people get well, by finding cures and fighting back against cancer.

This year, the American Cancer Society is funding $420 million dollars in 750 cancer research grants across the United States. In Kentucky, ACS is funding 10 research grants totaling $4.49 Million dollars.

In addition, it helps to fund the American Cancer Society’s Hope Lodge in Lexington which provides free lodging to cancer patients while undergoing treatment. Hope Lodge has provided free lodging to over 75 Boyle and Mercer county cancer patients. Those local patients stayed over 1,556 free nights saving those local families over $218,000 in lodging expenses.

Fore more information about Relay for Life of Boyle/Mercer, call Justice at (859) 319-7612 or the American Cancer Society at (800) 227-2345.