Celebrating 10 Years: The Relay For Life of Berkeley Heights Aims to Break Records Once Again This Year

Over 1,200 local residents of Berkeley Heights, Mountainside, New Providence, and Summit are signed up and ready to participate in this weekend’s American Cancer Society’s signature event- RELAY FOR LIFE.

This year’s event is especially poignant for the group as it celebrates its 10th anniversary and carries the challenge of once again being the number one event in the state of New Jersey.

Linda Weber, this year’s Relay Event Chair is especially excited for this year’s event.

“We have more teams and participants than ever before!  The teams have done a tremendous job at fundraising and we are so thankful to the surrounding community for bringing us that much closer to a cure.”

Cathy Pitingolo, committee member and flagship ($10,000) team captain who got involved shortly following her own cancer diagnosis remembers the early years of the Relay and is amazed at how far the event has come. She remembers a Relay small in numbers but mighty in spirit. 

“I saw on a Relay banner: 'It’s about a community that takes up the fight' and I knew that we could be huge if we continued to push to get more people involved.” Pitingolo later went on to chair the event in its 6th and 7th years and remains involved on the committee today.

And she was right. The Relay has grown from 40 teams to 115, while money raised has grown from $100,000 to $315,000.

As Relay continues to grow, the committee and participants invite the residents of all these, and surrounding communities, to show their hope, honor cancer survivors and caregivers, and pay tribute to those who have lost their battles with cancer -- at the 10th anniversary of Relay For Life, to be held at Governor Livingston High School, 175 Watchung Blvd., Berkeley Heights, on June 4-5.

The event begins at 4:00pm, and will go through the night, culminating in closing ceremonies on Sunday at 7:00am.

For a complete listing of the Relay For Life schedule and to learn how you can get involved, visit www.relayforlife.org/berkeleyheightsNJ or call the event’s staff partner, Deirdre McGuinness at 973.232.2584.

Since its inception in 2002, the Relay For Life of Berkeley Heights has brought together family, friends, community members, and co-workers to raise awareness and funds for American Cancer Society research, education, advocacy, and service. And amongst the 1,200 participants, you’ll find those, like Cathy, who were there in the earliest of years, remembering fondly the beginnings of a “community taking up the fight.”