Relay for Life events planned for Ballard, Edmonds, Issaquah, Mill Creek, Redmond communities in May, June and August
Media Alert
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contacts: Clay Holtzman, Swedish, 206-386-2748, clay.holtzman@swedish.org
Kimberly Dinsdale, American Cancer Society, 206-674-4150, kimberly.dinsdale@cancer.org
WHAT:
The Washington Chapter of the American Cancer Society and Swedish Health Services are partnering to organize Relay for Life events in the Ballard, Edmonds, Issaquah, Mill Creek and Redmond communities. Each Relay for Life event will feature hundreds of cancer survivors, supporters and advocates working together to raise awareness and funding for cancer research.
Relay For Life began in 1985, in Tacoma with a local colorectal surgeon, Dr. Gordy Klatt, who walked and ran around a track for 24 hours and raised $27,000 for the American Cancer Society. This year, Relay For Life will take place in nearly 6,000 communities in the United States and 21 other countries and will raise funds to support the Society’s mission of saving lives by helping people stay well, by helping people get well, by finding cures and fighting back.
Media will have access to film/interview Relay participants, learn more about the latest efforts to battle cancer and more.
WHEN:
- Edmonds, Issaquah and Mill Creek - Saturday, May 31at 12 p.m.
- Redmond - Saturday, June 7 at 12 p.m.
- Ballard - August date to be announced
WHO:
Relay for Life participants, cancer survivors, advocates and more will be in attendance.
WHERE:
- Edmonds, WA
- Relay For Life of Edmonds/ Lynnwood
May 31, 2014
Opening ceremonies at 12 p.m.
Edmonds-Woodway High School
- Issaquah, WA
- Relay For Life of Issaquah
May 31, 2014
Opening ceremonies at 12 p.m.
Issaquah High School
- Mill Creek
- Relay For Life of Mill Creek
May 31, 2014
Opening ceremonies at 12 p.m.
McCollum Pioneer Park
- Redmond
- Relay For Life of Redmond
June 7, 2014
Opening ceremonies at 12 p.m.
Redmond High School
- Ballard
- Relay For Life of Ballard
Date to be determined for August 2014
Visuals and Interview Opportunities:
Several visual/interview opportunities will be available at each event, including:
- Opening Ceremonies- all attendees gather to initiate the event, there is opportunity to interview event organizers and staff
- Survivor Lap- directly following opening ceremonies all survivors in attendance embark on a lap around the track to celebrate their survivorship, we have several survivors who have utilized services within Puget Sound from both Swedish and the American Cancer Society
- Luminaria Ceremony- at 10 p.m. (each event may vary slightly) luminaries are lite at each event to celebrate those who have survived, remember those who have been lost, and provide hope for those still fighting. This is an extremely powerful visual as several hundreds of bags light up the track.
About the American Cancer Society
The American Cancer Society is a global grassroots force of more than three million volunteers saving lives and fighting for every birthday threatened by every cancer in every community. As the largest voluntary health organization, the Society's efforts have contributed to a 20 percent decline in cancer death rates in the U.S. since 1991, and a 50 percent drop in smoking rates. Thanks in part to our progress nearly 14 million Americans who have had cancer and countless more who have avoided it will celebrate more birthdays this year. As we celebrate 100 years of service, we're determined to finish the fight against cancer. We're finding cures as the nation’s largest private, not-for-profit investor in cancer research, ensuring people facing cancer have the help they need and continuing the fight for access to quality health care, lifesaving screenings, clean air, and more. For more information, to get help, or to join the fight, call us anytime, day or night, at 1-800-227-2345 or visit cancer.org.
About Swedish
Founded in 1910, Swedish is the largest non-profit health provider in the Greater Seattle area. It is comprised of five hospital campuses (First Hill, Cherry Hill, Ballard, Edmonds and Issaquah); ambulatory care centers in Redmond and Mill Creek; and Swedish Medical Group, a network of more than 100 primary-care and specialty clinics located throughout the Greater Puget Sound area. In addition to general medical and surgical care including robotic-assisted surgery, Swedish is known as a regional referral center, providing specialized treatment in areas such as cardiovascular care, cancer care, neuroscience, orthopedics, high-risk obstetrics, pediatric specialties, organ transplantation and clinical research. In 2013, Swedish provided nearly $143 million in community benefit in Western Washington. For more information, visit www.swedish.org, www.facebook.com/swedishmedicalcenter, or www.twitter.com/swedish.
