'Purple Power': Yorktown Committed to Finish Cancer Battle

The spirits were high on Friday as members of Yorktown's Relay for Life committee wore purple clothes and accessories to raise awareness for the upcoming event next month.

Volunteers also stood in the middle of the purple-painted line down Commerce Street to collect money for Relay for Life. Early in the morning, a man had stopped by to donate $100, committee co-chair Jane McCarthy told Patch. 

"There is no place like Yorktown," she said. "It's amazing – all the way from the little kids all the way up – the camaraderie and passion to do good."

The day, known as 'Paint the Town Purple,' was a day to raise cancer awareness and get people excited for the annual fundraising event for the American Cancer Society. Yorktown's Relay for Life is the largest event in Westchester County and one of the largest in New York and New Jersey. Each year the community raises more money than the year before. 

This year's theme is 'the Wizard of Oz' because of several rainbows that emerged during last year's Relay for Life. Organizers hope to raise $300,000 this year for cancer research, programs and services of the American Cancer Society. 

"The town once again is coming together," said Monica Garrigan, a Yorktown resident and senior director of special events for the American Cancer Society. "We've committed to finishing the battle for cancer."

This year is the 100th anniversary of the American Cancer Society.

"It's time to get rid of the disease that has taken the life of so many people," Garrigan said. "[Relay for Life] sends the message together we can make a difference."

Yorktown supervisor Michael Grace, a cancer survivor who was diagnosed in his early 20s, commended the committee for all of their efforts and commitment to Relay for Life.

"My hat is off to you," he said. "It is so, very, very important because it's healing. And don't ever stop, because it's healing. And you don't know where that healing goes, but it goes out there. I guarantee you it goes out there and it touches people and it gives them peace."

Relay for Life organizers are continuing to reach out to the caregivers because they are the support system that helps people get through a tough time in their lives.

Lucy Miller, who is a special events manager for the American Cancer Society, is helping coordinate the Relay for Life both in Yorktown and Chappaqua. She first began relaying in 2006 after her grandmother's cancer had returned. 

"I loved what it stood for – celebrating the survivors and remembering those who have lost their lives," Miller said. 

Her grandmother Dorothy lost the battle in 2006, but that only fueled Miller's desire to find a cure. 

"I miss her every day, but I feel closer to her when I relay," Miller said. 

Relay For Life is the American Cancer Society's annual nationwide all-night marathon to celebrate all cancer survivors, remember those who have been lost to the disease and fight back against cancer. The color purple represents all forms of cancer. 

At nightfall, participants will light thousands of luminary candles as a way to honor both victims and survivors. There are various activities planned throughout the night while residents take turns making laps around the track.

Yorktown's Relay for Life, which is now the largest single-community Relay in the tri-state area, began in 2006. Relay For Life which is scheduled for Friday, June 14 at the Jack DeVito Track and Field in Yorktown. 

For more information visit www.relayforlife.org/yorktownny.

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