Moorpark Relay for Life Set for April

Moorpark's annual Relay for Life—the American Cancer Society's 24-hour walk-a-thon—will take place in a new place at a new time this year. Mark your calendars for the end of April. The walk will take place at Arroyo Vista Park.

Though Relay committee members started planning just as soon as last year's event was over, events for this year's Relay officially kicked off last week at a Chamber of Commerce mixer sponsored by the Relay for Life at Cafe Firenze.

Teams have already started to start up and there's "good momentum," said Chairperson Doug Ridley, but, he said it's never too late to get involved.

"To be real honest, we will take people as they come that day," he said.

However, to help organizers prepare, teams should sign up as early as possible. This will help make sure team members who qualify will get their Relay for Life t-shirts and such.

To register, visit the Moorpark Relay page on the American Cancer Society's website.

The relay is set for April 27. The walk begins at 9 a.m.

One of the things the Relay organizing committee is focusing on is getting cancer survivors to sign up online. By doing so, organizers can be sure to recognize them during a special ceremony.

Ridely is excited about the move to the park and the collaboration with the city that comes with it. He said the relay will still have the same feel as previous years when it was held at Moorpark High School, but the park offers some amenities, like a picnic area and playground, that the track at the school did not. The playground was especially beneficial because, being a family-friendly event, the Relay has a special area devoted to kids.

As well, there is music and other entertainment during the day, games, a luminaria ceremony where luminarias celebrating survivors and those who have lost the battle to cancer are lit. Some participants also choose to camp at the site.

For those who've never been to a Relay for Life, Ridley describes it as a 24-hour event honoring people who have fought cancer and raising money to continue fighting it.

"For each team, we try to have somone on the track for all 24-hours," said Ridley. "Relay believes cancer doesn't sleep; Either do our teams."

—See a video from last year's walk here.