Friday, May 6, 2011 11:17 am

A special Luminaria Ceremony to be held during the American Cancer Society Relay For Life® of Cannon Co. will remember those lost to cancer and honor those who have survived. Luminaria will be lit at Dillon Park on May 13, 2011 at 9 pm to represent these individuals.

Anyone desiring to make a luminaria donation may do so by contacting Korie Aycock at 615-563-2311 or by visiting www.relayforlife.org/cannon. Each luminaria candle is $10.00.

“Each luminaria represents the life of someone who has battled cancer. It is a beautiful sight when all the bags with candles are illuminated around the track,” said Korie Aycock volunteer luminaria chair. “The Luminaria Ceremony is a moving way to remember loved ones lost to cancer and to pay tribute to cancer survivors.”

Relay For Life events are held overnight as individuals and teams camp out at an athletic track, park or other gathering area, with the goal of keeping at least one team member on the track or pathway at all times throughout the evening. Teams do most of their fundraising prior to the event, but some teams also hold creative fundraisers at their camp sites during Relay. Relay celebrates people who have battled cancer, remembers loved ones lost, and provides participants with an opportunity to fight back against the disease – all aimed at furthering the American Cancer Society’s vision of a world with less cancer and more birthdays.

Prior to the Luminaria Ceremony, the Survivors Lap will kick off the 2011, Relay For Life event in Cannon Co. on May 13, 2011 beginning at 6 pm. as survivors will circle the track, surrounded by friends and family cheering them on.

Also a part of Cannon County’s Relay For Life event is the “Fight Back” Ceremony, in which a community leader will inspire Relay participants with his or her own commitment and will challenge them to take a personal pledge of action (e.g., stop smoking, eat more healthily, exercise regularly, etc.) in fighting back.

Information about making a luminaria donation, forming a team or walking in the Survivors Lap is available by calling 615-563-2311, or visiting  HYPERLINK "http://www.RelayForLife.org" RelayForLife.org.

The American Cancer Society combines an unyielding passion with nearly a century of experience to save lives and end suffering from cancer. As a global grassroots force of more than three million volunteers, we fight for every birthday threatened by every cancer in every community. We save lives by helping people stay well by preventing cancer or detecting it early; by helping people get well by being there for them during and after a cancer diagnosis; by finding cures through investment in groundbreaking discovery; and by fighting back by rallying lawmakers to pass laws to defeat cancer and by rallying communities worldwide to join the fight. As the nation’s largest non-governmental investor in cancer research, contributing about $3.4 billion, we turn what we know about cancer into what we do. As a result, more than 11 million people in America who have had cancer and countless more who have avoided it will be celebrating birthdays this year. To learn more about us or to get help, call us anytime, day or night, at 1-800-227-2345 or visit cancer.org.