Relay For Life Kickoff Slated For Thursday At Central Regional Middle School

The annual Berkeley/Lacey Relay for Life takes place on May 19. But event organizers are working behind the scenes to prepare for the event at Veterans Park.

A presentation about the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life  Life will be held at 7 p.m. on Thursday at the Central Regional Middle School off Forest Hills Parkway in Bayville, said Roxanne Stephens,this year's chairperson.

"Anyone can participate, whether or not there is a direct connection to cancer," she said.

Many Berkeley and Lacey residents participate each year. And Berkeley Mayor Carmen F. Amato Jr. is no exception.

His "Team Knute" will be there to honor of his late father, who was diagnosed with adrenal cancer just two years after his wife died in 1980. Amato Sr. fought the disease for 20 years, through nine major surgeries, before he died in 2003.

Thursday's informational session will run about an hour. Coffee and cake will be served after the talk during a question and answer session. This year's theme will also be announced, Stephens said.

The concept for the Relay for Life was born in 1985, when Tacoma, Washington surgeon Dr. Gordy Klatt was looking for a way to raise money for the local branch of the American Cancer Society, according to the ACS's Relay for Life website..

He decided to run for 24 hours around a track at the University of Puget Sound. Friends and family donated money and some joined him on the track. Now there are Relay for Life events around the United States each year.

The event usually runs overnight and teams camp around the tracks. Food, games, activities and entertainment are provided. Participants do not have to stay the entire time.

So far, 16 teams signed up for the Berkeley/Lacey event have already raised $3,700 for the event, Stephens said.

For more information about the Berkeley/Lacey event, go to