Burlington Relay for Life Starts Today

Take a stand against cancer and join the Burlington Relay for Life starting this afternoon at the Burlington High School athletics field.

This year the weather looks like it will work out, unlike the last two years that saw heavy rainfall that dampened the participants but not their spirit or enthusiasm. The National Weather Servic is calling for sunny skies tomorrow with a high near 93 degrees, partly cloudy skies tomorrow night with a low around 65 and a mostly sunny Sunday with temperatures around 91.

Relay are incredible community events where you can meet new people, participate in activities and help make a difference by supporting cancer research. After dark there is a Luminaria Ceremony where white bags with lit candles are set up around the track followed by a moving Fight Back Ceremony where everyone stands against this horrible disease in solidarity.

The American Cancer Society's Relay for Life is an overnight event to raise funds for cancer research and to support patients of cancer and their families. Along with funding research, money raised goes to a variety of services for those afflicted with this terrible disease, including providing patients transportation to treatment, the "Look Good, Feel Better" program that helps women cope with the appearance-related side effects of treatment, summer camps for children with cancer, providing patients with necessary information and providing free lodging for families traveling with patients for treatment.

Relay for Life is more about raising money, however. It is also a chance for cancer survivors, their families and friends and people who have lost a loved one to the disease to come together and stand united against the disease. Survivors share their experience and remind everyone that cancer is something that affects everyone and that any effort to fight it is an effort to save the a life. Along with the poignant moments, Relay also offers an opportunity for a community to come together and appreciate each other and what they have as they work towards a common cause. Games are played, food is cooked and people have a good time encouraging one another and spending time with family, friends and new friends met at the event.

Here is the schedule of events for this year's Burlington Relay for Life:

• 3:00pm Registration Begins 
• 5:00pm - 9:00pm CPS-3 Enrollment
• 6:00pm Opening Ceremony
• 6:30pm Surivivor Reception
• 9:00pm Luminaria Ceremony
• 11:00pm Non Registered Guests Must Leave Relay
• 12:00am Fight Back Ceremony
• 6:00am Closing Ceremonies

 Also, Don't miss out on all the great activities they'll have, including:

• Bingo
• Cupcake Decorating 
• Kid's Movie 
• Theme Laps 
• Raffles 
• Motivating 
• Touching Speakers
• ZUMBA
• Team Photos
• Bounce House