SUNDAY, JAN. 24: Relay For Life Kickoff

The 2010 Relay For Life of Falls Church will officially kick off on Sunday January 24 with an event at Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School from 2:30 to 4 p.m.

Last year’s Relay For Life exceeded all expectations as 84 teams raised more than $171,000 to support the American Cancer Society’s fight against cancer. More than 800 persons participated in the overnight event at the football field at George Mason High School.

This year’s Relay For Life will be held May 22-23. The Kick-off Event will feature a video presentation on last year’s event and provide information about how volunteers and teams can get involved this year. Already two dozen teams, many of them formed by junior and senior high school students, have been organized for the 2010 Relay.

Relay For Life features activities for all ages in a moving celebration of both cancer survivors and those who have lost their lives to the disease. Cancer survivors are particularly encouraged to attend a special reception at the beginning of the event and to participate in the “survivors’ lap” that starts off the relay.

“Thanks to the hard work of Falls Church residents of all ages, our Relay has grown substantially in just a few short years,” said Katie Clinton and Terry Rollo, co-chairs of the 2010 Relay for Life of Falls Church. “But because of that growth, we need even more people to get involved this year.” The co-chairs said they can identify a volunteer job for anyone, no matter what their skill or available time commitment may be.

Interested persons, including cancer survivors, caregivers and friends are encouraged to attend the kickoff event. For more information on the Relay, see www.fallschurchrelay.org.