‘It Is Up to You’

WARREN, Pa. – Relay for Life of Warren County is on a precipice, and if it is unable to get enough participants and donors, 2022 could be its final year.

The American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life of Warren County has seen a steady decline in the number of teams over the last decade. So much so that event coordinators decided to move the 2022 Relay from Betts Park to North Warren Presbyterian Church.

“If we can’t get more people involved, Relay may end locally,” Event Advertiser Wendy Carter said.

Cathy Burnett explained in a release that the number of teams has dropped from 25 to 10 since 2013, and that decline has resulted in an 80 percent decrease in funds raised over the same span.

“In those same years, nothing about cancer has changed,” Burnett said. “Cancer is still with us, it is still affecting our families and loved ones and although more people are surviving there are still too many people losing their battles with the disease.”

The ACS has experienced a number of changes that have also negatively impacted the local Relay event, Burnett explained.

“The ACS has undergone many changes in recent years some of which resulted in cutbacks in personnel and local offices,” Burnett said. “The economy has dictated a large part of this, and the recent pandemic exacerbated the situation even further. In Warren County, our local ACS office closed and we no longer have a local ACS staff person.”

Burnett said one of the reasons for the change in venue this year was to reduce the expense incurred by the ACS.

“We are working to right-size Relay by changing the venue to reduce costs to the ACS for the event,” Burnett said. “That means more money for the American Cancer Society and their mission. The event will be in North Warren, at the North Warren Presbyterian Church Pavilion and park, with our survivor dinner taking place at the Community House next to the church.”

Burnett and Carter are part of “a small and loyal cadre of volunteers who are fighting to retain” Relay for Life of Warren County. They believe there is a way to reverse the trend.

“We are already seeing an increase in business sponsorships which is heartening,” Burnett said. “There is hope for a turnaround. We still need people to sign up, start a team or join an existing team.”

There are no limits to Relay team sizes and teams are able to determine their own fundraising strategies.

“The amount of time you choose to spend fundraising is up to you, each team sets their own goal,” Burnett said. “Each team has a Captain who attends a monthly planning meeting. Each team determines if they want to hold team fundraisers or prefer to raise money at the Relay event.”

Funds raised by Relay go to such things as patient services, the Road to Recovery and the toll-free service available 24/7 to cancer patients and their families.

“Being a Relay For Life volunteer is a life-affirming, joyful experience,” Burnett said. “We remember the loved ones we have lost, and honor those who have won the battle or are still in the fight.”

The 2022 Relay for Life will be held from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on June 18. Those interested in starting a team can do so by clicking here, entering the 16365 ZIP code and clicking on the “Sign Up” button under the Relay for Life of Warren County heading.

“Ultimately, if this year does not prove to be successful, it will likely be the last Relay For Life for Warren County,” Burnett said. “It is heartbreaking to those of us who have worked with the event for years as we have watched the decline in what is a heart-lifting, healing event. Warren County, it is up to you to turn this around and make a difference in the lives of cancer patients and their loved ones.