East Valley Relay for Life Gathers Cancer Survivors in Mesa

Cancer survivors, caregivers, and community members gathered on Saturday at Westwood High School in Mesa, Arizona, for the East Valley Relay for Life, ABC15 Arizona reported. The event featured a Survivors' Lap where survivors walked the track together as a symbol of unity to open the relay officially. [1]

ABC15 anchor Nick Ciletti, a survivor of childhood neuroblastoma, helped kick off the event and spoke with fellow participants, according to ABC15 Arizona. Event host Ray Mota, a two-time cancer survivor who was first diagnosed in his twenties, shared a message encouraging participants to never give up. [1]

The American Cancer Society is a nationwide non-profit organization dedicated to eliminating cancer, which publishes scientific journals including Cancer and CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians. The organization was originally founded as the American Society for the Control of Cancer on May 22, 1913, in New York City by ten physicians and five laypeople. [3][5]

Organizers noted that members of the public who missed the gathering in Mesa can still submit donations to support the East Valley Relay for Life and the American Cancer Society, ABC15 Arizona reported. [1]