Malverne HS hosts Relay for Life event

Many Malverne residents will gather Friday to celebrate the lives of people who have fought cancer, remember loved ones lost and fight back against the disease during the village’s first Relay for Life.

The American Cancer Society helped organize the eight-hour event at Malverne High School with the help of community members. Teams take turns walking or running around the high school’s track. Each team will have a representative on the track at all times during the event.

More than 3.5 million people in the United States participate in similar relays each year to raise funds and awareness about cancer, according to the society.

The Malverne event will begin with registration at 4 p.m. A survivors reception will be held at 5 p.m. in the high school cafeteria. The opening ceremonies will take place at 7 p.m. at the track.

The relay will start with cancer survivors circling the track together. Caregivers will also be recognized for their work with cancer patients and survivors.

After nightfall, candles will be lit inside bags filled with sand for the luminaria ceremony. Each bag will bear the name of a person touched by cancer, and participants will walk a lap in silence. The ceremonies will end after 11 p.m.